


Where You Belong

by Miilkobitch



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: AU, Angst, Cum Play, F/M, Fluff, Foster home, M/M, Smut, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-05 15:17:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 33,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11580723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miilkobitch/pseuds/Miilkobitch
Summary: "Tomorrow?" Ian repeated, raising both eyebrows. "You waited to tell me until it was too late for me to say no?""No, of course not. You can say no if it makes you uncomfortable," his dad told him, but the look on his face told him the complete opposite.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the tv show, The Fosters. You don't need to know the show to be able to keep up with the story. Only one character in the show will appear in this fic, and that is Aaron, who is played by Elliot Fletcher. Same face as Trevor, but a completely different character so please don't let that stop you from giving this a chance. 
> 
> A HUGE thank you to Shelby who let me bounce ideas off of her ALL DAY. This would be a train wreck without you.

Ian's life had been mostly normal. He had two parents, a best friend, good grades, a plan for the future. Everything was going according to plan. He knew exactly where he was going and how he was going to get there. His parents were a huge help. They didn't like Ian's plan of joining the army, but they encouraged him follow his dreams and Ian couldn't have been more grateful.

He remember the first time his parents brought him home. He was only five and he was stripped from the only life he'd ever known, thrown into a completely different world away from his family. Clayton and Lucy were too nice. They were trying way too hard to make a good impression and trying way to hard to pretend they weren't arguing when they both went to the kitchen, as if it took two people to get him a juice box. He was just a kid, but he was far from stupid. He could see what was really going on. He couldn't sleep that first night. It was too quiet. Too clean. Too different from the life he once had. He cried silently, holding the wrinkled up picture of his family to his chest, wondering when or if he'd ever see the only people he'd ever loved again.

It turned out that he would see them again, but only from a distance. When he was old enough start looking, he was scared of rejection. What if they didn't want him? What if they forgot about him? What if they just saw him as the middle child who was ripped away to live a privileged life while they continued to live in poverty? He couldn't think about that, though. He needed to fill this whole in his life. He was fourteen when he found their address in his dad's office.

He didn't even have to think about it. The second he found it, he took the L to the south side, ready to reunite with his family. There were a million doubts running through his head. He knew that he might get a door slammed in his face, he knew that he was insignificant to that part of his family now, but he forced himself to hold onto hope that maybe they'd want him around.

Ian got off the L as it made it to his stop and didn't even let himself think it over, not wanting to give himself a chance to back out. He found the street easily and followed the numbers on the houses. His breath hitched as he found the house he had been looking for and memories came rushing back. Fiona tucking him into bed, Debbie being being born, Lip teaching him how to ride a bike. Tears prickled at his eyes and he rubbed them roughly with the pads of his fingers.

When he pulled himself together, he took a deep breath and walked up to the door that he had walked through so many times, feeling more nervous than he ever had. He knocked hesitantly before finally taking in his surroundings. The houses weren't all that nice, there was litter on the streets, stray cats walking around. It was loud. Kids were running around, parents talking on the side as they watched their children. He felt like he was at his second home. He technically was.

He frowned when no one answered and knocked again. There still wasn't an answer and then he heard screaming coming from the back yard. He made his way down the steps and turned the corner, seeing a large swimming pool. People were splashing each other and laughing. A tall girl with brown hair pulled into a bun, which he was assuming was Fiona, had a girl with bright red hair that was obviously Debbie on her shoulders. He remembered staring in awe when he first saw how red Debbie's hair had been when she was first born. That had to be her. On the other side was a guy around his age with dirty blond hair. He let himself believe that that was Lip. He had a boy with brown hair on his shoulders and it was obvious that they were playing chicken.

There was a couple sitting in the grass with a baby that couldn't have been older than two. One things for sure, he had at least one more sibling than he had before he left. As he watched them laugh and enjoy the day, he couldn't help but to feel like an outsider looking in. The more he watched, the more he realized he didn't belong here. This wasn't his family anymore. He didn't know them and they didn't know him. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked back towards the L.

He may not have had the courage to speak to them that day, but he still made sure to be part of their life. Whether they knew about it or not. From that day on, every month he would anonymously send them eighty percent of his allowance. They deserved that much. They didn't get as lucky as he did.

Ian smiled softly to himself as he licked the envelope shut and wrote the address on the front of it. He grabbed his book bag from the floor and slipped it on before making his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He planted a kiss on his moms cheek as he grabbed a piece of toast.

"Gotta head out early. Wanna make it to the post office before school," he told his parents as he stuffed the toast into his mouth.

"Hold on a sec, son," his dad interrupted, closing his newspaper and taking his glasses off. "We wanna talk to you about something first."

Ian raised an eyebrow and sat down at the table. "Okay. Can you make it fast? I really need to mail this out," he told them, holding the envelope between his index and middle fingers.

"We provide you with a really good life, Ian. I'd like to think that we're loving and we definitely support you financially," his father began. He had a serious tone to his voice and Ian could only nod in response.

"We want to give that opportunity to some other kids. Kids who haven't been so lucky in life," his mom said, softer than his dad.

"Okay? So, what? You're pregnant? Trying to have a baby?" Ian asked, tilting his head to the side.

"No, not exactly. We have decided to become foster parents. We have two kids around your age who will be coming to stay with us for a while. They'll be here tomorrow." his mom explained, smiling nervously.

"Tomorrow?" Ian repeated, raising both eyebrows. "You waited to tell me until it was too late for me to say no?"

"No, of course not. You can say no if it makes you uncomfortable," his dad told him, but the look on his face told him the complete opposite.

Ian had been an only child for the past eleven years. He never had to share anything. The bathroom, his parents, his space. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss the chaos that came with having siblings. He knew his answer the second they revealed what they were planning.

"Okay. As long as they stay out of my stuff, don't care. Can I go now?" He asked, waving the envelope in the air once again.

"Sure, honey. Don't be late for dinner," his mom said and kissed the top of his head as he stood to leave.

"I'll be here," he assured her before making his way outside and into the chilly fall morning.

He made his way to the post office and couldn't help the smile that made its way onto his face. Finally, his life wouldn't be so structured. Something would be different.

So much for normality.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another huge thank you to Shelby!!
> 
> Girls United is the group home that is regularly mentioned in The Fosters.

Ian leaned against the car with his jacket tight around his body, defending him from the cold that came with fall. He placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it, hoping the burn in his lungs will take his mind off of stinging in his cheeks caused by the wind.

His mother gave him a disapproving look, shaking her head. "I really wish you wouldn't do that. It's disgusting."

"Mom, I'm every parents wet dream. I have goals, good grades, and I'm respectful as hell. I need to feel like I'm rebelling against you guys every once in while," Ian said, smirking in her direction.

"So sneak out of you bedroom window at midnight, don't give yourself lung cancer. You won't even be able to function properly in the army with dysfunctional lungs. You won't run as fast or as long. You'll hold your team back and they'll leave you behind. You'll get hurt, and more importantly, you'll get lung cancer. Is that what you want?" His mom ranted, her face slowly getting more and more red.

He smiled at her and took a drag of the cigarette, blowing the smoke into the air. "Dad smoked when he was my age. Wasn't it the bad boy persona that made you like him in the first place? Who knows, maybe it'll get me a boyfriend."

"You will be the death of me, Ian," she sighed heavily.

"Ah, but you love me anyway," he chuckled and draped an arm around her shoulders. "Remind me, why are we standing outside of a juvenile detention center? Why are we taking in someone that is in kid jail? You yell at me for smoking but his kid has probably done way worse stuff and yet you guys are letting him into our home? Does my safety mean that little to you?" He asked with mock offense.

Clayton rolled his eyes. "Ian, shut up. This kid needs somewhere safe to lay his head at night and we're giving it to him. We have our reasons."

"Okay, fine. But at least tell me why he's in there? Don't I deserve to know that? So I can judge whether or not I should be scared to walk around my house at night?" Ian asked, sucking more smoke into his lungs.

"It's none of your business what he did. That's for him to know and if he decides to tell you down the line, great. But if he wants to keep it to himself, respect that."

"Sir, yes, sir," Ian said and stood at attention with his hand at his forehead, earning another eye roll from his dad in response.

A car pulled up next to them and a man in a dark grey suit got out, making his way over to Clayton. They shook hands and talked quietly between the two of them. Ian could only assume this was the social worker who put the kids in their care.

Ian wasn't really paying much attention to what was going on, staying in his own bubble as he puffed on his cigarette until there was a buzzing sound and a boy with black hair was making his way out of the building. He couldn't see most of his facial features from so far away, but the jet black hair, pale skin, and ice blue eyes caught his attention instantly.

The guy, wearing a muscle shirt and dark blue jeans, was making his way over to them. His features becoming more and more clear with every step, Ian could see how beautiful he was. The arch of his eyebrows, the thinness of his nose, the thickness of his lips. He had light freckles sprinkled all over his face that you wouldn't notice unless you were really looking at him.

The social worker, Ian thought his name might be Bill, reached his arm out towards the guy, to which he pushed away.

"This is Mickey. Mickey, this is Clayton, his wife, Lucy, and his son, Ian. You'll be staying with them for a while," Bill introduced, letting his arm fall to his side.

"Where's Mandy?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow, ignoring everything Bill had just said.

"You guys will be following me to the group home she's been staying at and then you'll be on your way to your new foster home," Bill explained, not phased at all by Mickey's disinterest in anything other than, assumably, his sister. "I promised I'd keep the two of you together. I made sure to do just that."

Mickey looked unimpressed. By the looks of him, with his knuckle tattoos, his build, and from what he's seen of his personality so far, Ian couldn't help but to believe that anyone would be stupid as hell not to keep their word to him.

Mickey turned his attention to Ian with a hard stare. His eyes raked up and down Ian's body, making Ian feel very self conscious.

"If you hit on my sister, I'll break your kneecaps," Mickey said simply and snatched the cigarette from between Ian's lips and took a drag of his own.

Ian couldn't stop the laughter that erupted from his chest, hunching over and holding his stomach. When he calmed himself down, he noticed the pointed look Mickey was giving him.

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting that," Ian said, rubbing at his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't hit on your sister. Not only is it illegal to hit on your foster sibling, but I'm also gay."

"If you hit on me, I'll break your kneecaps," Mickey said with a shrug and finished the cigarette before getting into the car.

"He's... charming," Lucy said, rubbing Ian's back.

"He's definitely someone you need to get used to. He's just a kid who hasn't had the easiest life. He just needs some people who will give him a chance," Bill said, shrugging a little.

"I like him," Ian chuckled, running his hand over his shaved head.

"Of course, you do," Lucy chuckled, shaking her head and went to join Mickey in the car.

"Okay, you just follow me and I'll lead you to Mandy," Bill said and got back to his car.

They pulled up to a house about fifteen minutes early. It would've looked just like any other house had it not had a sign that said Girls United planted in the front yard. It was a huge house, so Ian could see how it would be able to fit all the girls inside.

They climbed out and waited by the car as Bill went to let Mandy know they were here. Mickey stood off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at nothing but the front door of the house that Bill was currently blocking as he waited for someone to answer.

"So, you and Mandy are close?" Ian asked, taking a step closer to Mickey.

"Yup," Mickey said nonchalantly, not even tossing a glance Ian's way.

"Do you have any other siblings?"

"Yup."

Ian sighed softly, realizing that he wasn't going to get anywhere and stepped away. He wasn't giving up, though. He genuinely wanted Mickey and Mandy to be comfortable. If that meant slowly inching his way in, that's what he'd do.

The door opened and a girl who had the same black hair, pale skin, and blue eyes as Mickey came walking down the steps. Mickey uncrossed his arms and Ian could've swore he saw the smallest of smiles flicker across his face as the girl got closer. She stepped into his space and they wrapped each other in their arms, stuffing their faces into each other's necks.

"Ass face," the girl mumbled, squeezing him tighter.

"Douche bag," he mumbled back. They eventually pulled away and not a single one of the Gallagher's could stop the smiles that formed on their faces as they watched the reunion.

Bill introduced Mandy to the three of them. Mandy was much more polite and greeted them all separately. Ian could tell that regardless of her politeness, she had a wall built that might be even higher than Mickey's. But it definitely wasn't as thick as her brothers. Ian could work with that.

Once they were home, he offered to help Mickey move into his room. All he got in response was a door shutting in his face. He shrugged and tried again with Mandy, who was happy to accept the help. He got her stuff sorted and smiled softly at her.

"I know how intimidating this is. Moving into a place you don't recognize with people you know nothing about," Ian started but Mandy only scoffed.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you don't have a clue what I'm going through right now," Mandy said raising her eyebrows pointedly.

"Maybe not. But what I do know is I haven't always lived here and when I first moved in, I was scared and I felt alone. So, if you ever feel that way, my door is always open," Ian shrugged.

"Are you hitting on me? I have mace and a really scary brother. You might wanna rethink that," Mandy said as she put clothes in her closet.

"Nope. You're not my type. I don't want to assume what you have between your legs, seeing as my best friend is transgender, but unless you have a dick in there, I'm not interested. Just wanna make you feel comfortable. But since you have your brother here, I doubt you'll feel alone. The offer still stands, though."

Mandy pursed her lips and nodded. "You said you didn't live here your whole life? Were you adopted?"

"It's a long and weird story," Ian chuckled, leaning against the door frame. "My dad is my dad. But my mom isn't in the picture. Everyone thought I was my uncles kid, but his wife slept with my dad and when my dad found out about me, they went to the south side and picked me up. Been here since I was five. Mom doesn't really like me talking about it because it makes her feel like she's less of my mom. Which is absurd, but ya know," Ian chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets awkwardly.

"South side? Frank Gallagher your uncle?" She asked, stopping what she was doing.

"The one and only," he nodded. "I don't talk to them, though. I send my older sister money every month to help out, but they don't know it's me. They stopped thinking about me a long time ago."

"How do you know?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side.

Ian chuckled. "It's been eleven years since I last spoke to them. Wouldn't surprise me if I was just one of those memories that you aren't sure if they really happened or if they were just a dream."

Mandy frowned a bit. "That's really shitty."

Ian shook his head. "Don't feel bad for me. You're the one in a shitty situation. I'm here if you ever need anything. If you wanna talk, if you wanna sit in silence with some company, if you wanna watch lame game shows. I'm here, okay?"

Mandy smiled a little and nodded. "Okay. Thank you," she said sincerely.

Ian turned away and went back to his room.

Progress.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: Miilkobitch


	3. Chapter 3

Ian had shown Mandy around the school after Mickey had rudely declined his offer and walked in the opposite direction. He showed her where her first class was, where her locker was located, the coldest water fountain, and gave her his number so she could call if she needed anything. She showed her appreciation and promised to sit with him at lunch before she was on her way, insisting that Ian let her figure some things out on her own.

Ian made his way to his locker to grab his books for history and trig. He put in his combination and opened the door just as Aaron, his best friend of ten years, had walked up to him.

"How're the new siblings?" Aaron asked, leaning against the locker next to Ian's.

Ian shrugged and thought it over. "It's not awful. I really like Mandy. She has her guard up, but she's warming up. Mickey is... well, he's gonna take some time."

"What? Not the big brother you always wanted?" Aaron teased, nudging Ian with his elbow.

"I would never want him as an older brother. Then I'd feel awful for finding him sexy as hell," Ian chuckled and Aaron made a disgusted face.

"Dude, gross. You can't think that way," Aaron said and shuttered a little.

"You do know he's not my actual brother, right? Nothing is gonna happen, anyway. He's straight and even if he weren't, nothing could happen because he'd be put back into the system. No one with any other kids would take him in and he'd age out. I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Ian said, shutting his locker and turning his body to fully face his best friend.

Aaron opened his mouth to reply when Omari, a kid they had been going to school with since kindergarten, came up to them. They weren't necessarily friends, but they hung out every now and then. He was the obnoxious kid that laughed way too hard at his own jokes. He got on Ian's nerves most of the time, but he wasn't awful.

"Did you guys see the new kids? That Mandy girl is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Omari said, practically swooning.

"Yup, she's very pretty," Ian nodded, dying to get away from him.

"Her brother is scary as shit, though. He's the epitome of south side. Can't believe they actually let him in here," he said, sounding almost disgusted.

Ian couldn't understand why he instantly felt offended on Mickey's behalf, but his jaw clenched.

"I mean. He looks so... dirty," Omari cringed.

Ian nodded and fisted the front of Omari's shirt, turning him so he could slam his back into the lockers. "You don't know a damn thing about him or what he's been through. You don't get judge him just because he's not as lucky as the rest of us. I better not hear another negative thing about him come out of your mouth or anyone else's," he said sternly, slamming his back against the lockers once again before letting him go and walking away.

Aaron followed, easily keeping up with his pace even though he was much shorter.

"What the hell was that, man? I know you have a boner for the guy, but you can't do that shit. He's not worth a suspension," he said and put his hands up in mock surrender when Ian glared at him. "I didn't mean just him. No one is worth the ten day suspension you'll get if you get caught assaulting someone. The year just started, if you fall back now, you'll never catch back up."

"I don't think anyone has ever had their backs before. They deserve someone in their corner," Ian said and made his way too his first class, still fuming.

When lunch came around, he grabbed his food and saw Mandy sitting with Aaron. They were deep in a conversation and Mandy looked worried. Ian sat down across from them with his eyebrows raised.

"Everything okay?" He asked and Mandy looked at him with sympathy.

"You're an idiot," she stated simply, shaking her head.

"My day has been great, Mandy. Thanks for asking. Yes, this is a new shirt. You're right, it doesn't bring out the color in my eyes," he said, smirking a bit.

"Mickey is going to kill you. He takes care of himself. He's not going to like that you defended him," she replied, pushing her food around on her tray with her fork.

"I wasn't just going to stand back and let someone say shit about him. Especially when they're not saying it to his face. Mickey can be pissed if he wants to," Ian shrugged.

"Pissed about what?" Ian heard from behind him and turned, seeing Mickey with his eyebrow arched up in curiosity.

"It's nothing, Mick. Don't worry about it," Mandy assured, using her eyes to silently ask that he let it go.

"What will I be pissed about?" Mickey insisted, setting his tray down on the table, not taking his eyes off of Ian.

"Some dude was talking shit about you and I made him stop. Not a big deal," Ian told him nonchalantly.

Mickey's face got even harder which Ian didn't think was possible. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little worried now.

"You did what?" He asked, but Ian came to the conclusion that it was rhetorical. "I don't need you sticking up for me. I can take care of my damn self. Stay the fuck out of it."

Ian sighed softly and stood up, grabbing Mickey's arm and dragged him away from the table. Not without resistance, of course. Ian knew it was bold to put his hands on Mickey. He knew Mickey could tear him apart, but he truly didn't think he would.

"You need to chill. I did it because you couldn't. Not only were you not there to defend yourself, but if you had been there, you would've hit the guy. Hitting the guy would get you sent away. You'd either be sent away by yourself or you'd have Mandy with you and you'd end up in way worse place than this. You won't be able to protect her if that happens. Try being grateful for once in your life," Ian finished his tangent, not realizing that he was getting so worked up that he was breathing heavily through his nose.

"Fuck you. Don't you fucking dare bring Mandy into this," Mickey replied, obviously getting worked up himself. "We take care of ourselves. We don't need some privileged rich kid who's never even seen what the south side looks like sticking up for us. Mind your own damn business."

Ian stood silently, shaking his head as Mickey stormed out of the cafeteria. He sighed heavily and went back to the lunch table. He was hit with two very worried expressions.

"That went well," he smiled brightly and started eating, ignoring their attempts to get any information out of him.

When they made it home later that day, Mickey paid no mind to Ian's parents, going straight to his room and slamming the door.

"He might be pissed about it, but I really appreciate what you did. Thanks for having our backs," she said sincerely before going upstairs to check on her brother.

He let small smile flicker across his face as he went to the kitchen where he found his parents looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"Bad day?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	4. Chapter 4

Mickey sat at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal, but he wasn't really eating it. He wasn't very hungry and he was kicking himself for it. In the south side, he was lucky to get a bowl of cereal. He was lucky if got a cracker. The only reason he even went to school back home is to get the free food.

Home. Mickey almost laughed at the use of the word. He didn't have a home. There was the south side, the place he grew up and made him who was, and there was this house. The place he would hang out at until he was old enough to get kicked out.

The people in this house were annoyingly nice. Mickey would like it better if they treated him like shit. Being nice just seemed fake. They were going to get rid of him the second they got the opportunity. All Mickey cared about was Mandy having a safe place to stay and she got that. He'd be okay if they kicked him to curb as long as she was safe. They'd get rid of him eventually. Whether it be when he ages out or when he does something that fucks it all up. Mandy would be safe, though. That's all that mattered.

Lucy was always cooking for him. She cooked foods he'd never heard of and they looked disgusting but most of them turned out really good. He hated eating all of them. He didn't like being catered to. He didn't like going from hardly any food at all to having three meals a day plus snacks. He hated change.

Clayton was always trying to bond with him. Watching tv, trying to exchange anecdotes, suggesting books. He didn't like people trying to get to know him. He didn't like going from being ignored every second of the day to having someone ask him to talk about himself. He hated change.

Ian was always checking up on him. Asking how his day was, asking if he needed help with homework, asking if there was anything he could do for him. He didn't like going from one person who gave a shit to having four. He hated change.

Mickey was taken from his thoughts when heavy footsteps landed on the stairs until Ian emerged from upstairs. He was dressed in some military uniform and Mickey had a hard time trying to figure out if he was going to bite his lip to prevent himself from laughing or bite his lip because Ian looked damn good.

"Nice outfit," Mickey said sarcastically. Mockery it was.

"ROTC," Ian replied simply, grabbing some toast. He noticed that Mickey was hardly eating and tilted his head to the side. "You're not eating? Everything okay? You want something else?"

Mickey sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, putting his bowl in the sink. "Stop," he said firmly, turning to go upstairs and check on Mandy.

He knocked softly on her door and waited for her go-ahead before stepping inside. He sat on the edge of her bed and watched her put eyeliner on. He never understood the appeal of poking yourself in the eyeball just to put a black line, but he learned long ago not to question the motives of putting on makeup.

"Everything okay?" She asked, looking behind her through the mirror and made brief eye contact with her brother.

"I really wish people would stop fuckin asking me that. I'm fine. I've always been fine," he said and laid back on the bed, focusing his eyes on the ceiling.

"Bullshit. You don't have to lie to me, ya know? I get lying to them. They hover and care way too much. If you told them anything, they'd probably suggest a therapist or something. But I'm me. You don't have to pretend with me," she said, putting her eye pencil down and turned to look directly at him.

"You've been talking to Ian too much," Mickey grumbled and sat up.

"Look, if you don't like it here, we can talk to Bill. We can get moved. It's not a big deal," Mandy shrugged.

Mickey wasn't buying it. Mandy liked being here. She liked Ian and Lucy. She was apprehensive about Clayton, but who could blame her?

"Mandy, we're not going anywhere. After I shot him, I promised I'd make sure you ended up in a good place. This place is as good as it gets. I'll be annoyed for the next year if that's what it takes to keep you safe," Mickey told his sister and stood up.

"I'm safe no matter where I am as long as we're together," Mandy said, taking the empty spot where her brother was previously sitting.

"We're staying, Mandy. End of discussion," he said sternly and left the room, heading back downstairs.

He was faced with Ian again and rolled his eyes, trying to step around him but Ian stopped him.

"Look, I know I'm annoying," Ian started and Mickey scoffed.

"Understatement of the year. Another pointless trophy for the case. Congrats," Mickey interrupted, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't know why you have such a problem with me. I'm just trying to be nice. I know a lot more about the situation you're in right now than you think I do."

Mickey laughed and shook his head. "You're really clueless, aren't you? I almost feel bad for you," Mickey hardened his face and pushed Ian away from him. "The day you have to shoot your father in the leg to get him off of your sister, then come talk to me about how you know what I'm going through. You don't give a damn about us. We're just another check landing in daddy's bank account. So back the fuck off. If Mandy wants to hang out with you, whatever. That's on her. But stay the hell away from me," he finished and snatched his jacket off of the back of a chair.

He walked out of the house and slammed the door shut behind him, walking in the direction of the school. All he could think about on the way there was how annoying Ian was. He knew exactly why the kid got under his skin so bad, but he couldn't admit it to himself. It was too dangerous. This was the best placement he and Mandy could ever get. He couldn't fuck it up because his foster brother was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. Mandy needed this and he refused to fuck this up for her.

She deserved a good life for once. Even if Mickey didn't like the change, Mandy deserved to have three meals a day, she deserved to have a father figure that will watch lame game shows with her, she deserved someone other than him checking up on her and helping her with homework. If he fucked this up for her, he'd never forgive himself. This is her ticket out. She's made plenty of sacrifices for him. She would refuse to take his food even if she was still hungry just so Mickey wouldn't go to bed starving. She would deflect attention from Mickey when Terry was beating him to a pulp. She refused to tell anyone what was happening to her behind closed doors just so they wouldn't be homeless. She was taken away from her friends and thrown into a school full of pretentious cunts because of Mickey. He had to make this about her. He couldn't ruin this because of a stupid crush.

Mandy comes first. Always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	5. Chapter 5

Ian was curled up on the couch with his English book, studying for his upcoming test. English had never been his strong suit. He didn't find it interesting which made it difficult to absorb the information, but he needed to keep his grades up if he wanted to get into his dream school. Failing wasn't an option.

He reached over and grabbed a cracker from the coffee table, not taking his eyes off of his book. He had read the same paragraph five times and started getting frustrated with himself, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Why do you study so damn much? Don't you have a life?" He heard from behind him.

Without taking his eyes off of his book, he shook his head. "You haven't spoken to me in a week and when you finally acknowledge my existence, it's to insult me? Real nice, Mickey."

"It was a serious question," Mickey told him, sitting down on the opposite side of the couch.

"I have to get really good grades to get into West Point," he shrugged, giving up on studying for the moment and shut the book.

"West Point? Isn't that a military school? I thought parents sent their kids to places like that as punishment. And you want to send yourself there?"

Ian sighed heavily and opened his book back up, determined to ignore his asshole of a foster brother.

"I didn't mean that in a rude way. I'm just curious as to why you're so stuck on this military stuff. I get why people in the south side want to join the military. They have something to run from. But you have everything. Two parents who obviously love you, a nice house, friends, destined for greatness if you keep studying like this. Why do you wanna run from this?" Mickey asked him and the sincerity in his voice made it impossible for Ian to ignore.

"No ones ever asked me why I wanna do it before," he said thoughtfully, his eyebrows raising. "I guess I just wanna be able to say I've done something important with my life," he shrugged, putting his book down.

"Ah, so, completely selfish reasons then?" Mickey questioned with his eyebrows raised.

Ian chuckled a little and shook his head. "Fuck you."

"Just doesn't make sense that you'd wanna go off and get shot at when you have a pretty good life," Mickey shrugged and stood to leave.

Ian gnawed at his lip and sighed softly. "I want my story to be more than just being taken away from my family and being thrown into... this."

Mickey rolled his eyes. "You look exactly like your dad. You won't be able to convince me you're not his, so give it a rest."

"I am his. But I'm not Lucy's. They didn't know about me until I was five. Used to live on the south side. Lived there long enough to have memories there," Ian confessed, avoiding Mickey's eyes.

"Why are you telling me this? You hoping we'll hold hands and skip down the street? Exchange horror stories about our times in the ghetto?"

Ian looked up and saw that Mickey was smirking at him. Ian let out a deep breath, happy to know that Mickey was just fucking with him.

"Uhm. Do you know Lip Gallagher? He's the same age as you. You probably had him in some classes or something," Ian said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, I know Lip," Mickey nodded, leaning against the arm of the couch.

"What's he like?" Ian asked quietly, looking Mickey in the eye.

Mickey sighed and sat back down. "I don't know. We weren't friends. He's smart as hell. A fucking genius. He's a real dick, though. He always has this smug look on his face that makes you wanna hit him. I paid him to write a paper for me once. Got a B plus. I told him to shoot for an A, but at the time, it wouldn't have been believable. He didn't want to get busted."

Ian nodded slowly. "He's still smart," he mumbled to himself.

"He a cousin or something?" Mickey questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Ian shook his head. "No. He's my brother."

Mickey nodded slowly. "You have a fuck ton of siblings," he chuckled.

"How many?" Ian asked, trying not to seem too eager. He failed apparently because Mickey wouldn't stop looking at him with an amused expression.

"Uh, five, I think. Two sisters, three brothers."

"I got two new brothers?" Ian mumbled, a smile playing on his lips.

"Yeah. Don't know what their names are. One of them is a serial killer in training. And an arsonist," Mickey chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "And the youngest is black."

Ian nodded slowly. That must've been the baby he saw that day two years ago. "Monica really knows how to reproduce."

"You're crazy if you'd rather be there. The south side is the last place anyone would ever wanna be. You can't be gay there. You never know when your next meal is gonna be. You're better off here."

"I know that. Just doesn't seem fair that I'm the only one that got lucky."

"If they ever gave a shit about you, they'd be happy you got out. Maybe you should contact them. Have a Brady Bunch reunion," Mickey teased.

Ian gnawed on his lip. "Why are you suddenly being nice to me? Last week, you wanted me to pretend you don't exist. Now you're encouraging me to call my long lost family who probably don't even remember me. What do you want?"

Mickey shrugged. "I want Mandy to be happy. Which she won't be if we're always fighting. She'll try to put me before herself and try to get us out of here if she thinks I wanna leave. Gotta make her believe I wanna be here. You should try to call them, though. Think about it."

He stood up again and went upstairs, leaving Ian to stare at the place where Mickey was just sitting. He sighed heavily and shook his head. He couldn't just pick up the phone and call. Family is about being there for someone when they need you the most. It's never been about blood. If that were the case, Lucy wouldn't be his mom. She was his mom, though. The Gallagher's weren't his siblings.

Ian opened his book back up, determined to take his mind off of everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	6. Chapter 6

It's been two months since Mickey and Mandy came to live with the Gallagher's. Ian had been getting closer and closer to Mandy as the days went by. She was even growing closer to Aaron which Ian was happy about. He wasn't sure how Mickey and Mandy would treat him. The south side wasn't even gay friendly, so he was apprehensive about having them around his transgender best friend. They weren't awful to him, though. They treated him like a normal person and Ian couldn't have been more grateful.

Sometimes Ian would sneak into Mandy's room late at night and she would sneak into his room, too. They'd stay up all night talking, teasing, listening to music, watching movies. It was like he really had a sister but it didn't make him stop feeling like something was missing in his life. He wanted to know Fiona and Debbie. He wanted to know Lip. He even wanted to know his other brothers. He knew he wouldn't ever grow the balls to reach out to them, though, so he'd have to just settle with sending them his allowance every month and hope that he was making a difference in their lives.

Mickey was driving him insane. He would come out of the bathroom in just a towel or he would wear those grey sweatpants that always drove Ian insane. What was really getting to him, though, was Mickey's fake nice act. Mickey did chores, engaged when he was spoken to, smiled at Lucy in passing, pretended to know what the fuck Clayton was talking about when he talked about sports. Ian was annoyed with him and incredibly turned on by him at the same time and it was a dangerous combination to have when the feelings are directed at your foster brother.

"Where are you going?" Mickey asked when Ian turned in the opposite direction of home after the last bell rang out.

"Post office," Ian said shortly, not turning around and quickening his pace. He heard footsteps come up behind him and sighed softly. "Why are you following me? Don't you have to go convince people that you like it here?"

"Well, that's why I'm following you. We have to bond or some shit, right?" Mickey replied, smirking up at the red head.

Ian rolled his eyes. "Go away, Mickey. You're annoying."

"You hurt me, Gallagher. I thought we were just becoming brothers. I was even gonna ask you to come play catch at the park," Mickey told him, struggling to keep up with Ian's large steps.

"Fathers do that with their sons. Not brothers. Why are you wasting your time? You hate me."

Mickey ignored him, taking the envelope from between Ian's fingers. "What's this?" He asked, inspecting it.

Ian snatched it back and put it in his back pocket. "It's money. I do this every month and I usually do it alone so, for the twentieth time, go away."

"I'm pretty sure that's only the second time, but whatever works for you," Mickey shrugged, not showing any signs of going away.

"It was a hyperbole," Ian said, trying to figure out why he was even engaging in this conversation.

"Someone's getting better at English. Looks like all that studying you do is paying off. Who are you sending money to?"

Ian stopped walking and put his hand on Mickey's chest to stop him, too. "You're being a real ass. An ass is all you've been since you got here. I've done nothing but try to make you feel welcome and comfortable here and all I get in return is snarky comments and this charade that you're putting on to make people think you're happy. If you don't like it here, fine, but this is the best you're gonna get. We've shown you nothing but hospitality and if you decide to leave, you'll end up somewhere with someone who really is only giving you a place to stay for a government check. Pull your head out of your ass and instead of pretending to like it here, try realizing that we're actually trying to be nice to you."

When Ian finished his rant, started walking again, only for the back of his shirt to be grabbed roughly and he was pulled back. He huffed and turned to face Mickey, raising his eyebrows expectantly. He knew what was coming next. Either a hit in the face or a long rant from the shorter guy.

"Just because I don't like it here doesn't mean I'm not appreciative. I know what the fuck I've got going here, okay? That doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. I went through hell in the south side. You go from a living hell for seventeen years to suddenly being catered to and fed every day, it's a bit of a fucking adjustment. So, excuse me if I'm not rainbows and fucking flowers all the damn time."

"And how do you expect us to know that you've been through shit? You don't tell anyone anything even when we're trying to open the door for you. You're impossible to read. You're closed off and you give us nothing to work with. I don't even know your middle name," Ian said, chuckling humorlessly.

"Aleksandr," Mickey replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's a start, I guess," Ian sighed and started walking again, unsurprised when Mickey was following him again. "The money is for my siblings. I've been sending them two hundred a month for the past two years. I send it anonymously and go about my life."

Mickey raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. "They're ghetto. They're not going to accept hand outs, man. They probably just toss it."

Ian shrugged. "That's fine. It's their money, they can do what they want with it. I just figure that if I was the only one lucky enough to get out, I should help them as much as I can. Even if I can't be in their lives."

Mickey nodded slowly. He was quiet for a few minutes. "When I was living with my dad, he beat the shit out of me. All the time. If he wasn't pissed at me, he was pissed at Mandy. When he was pissed at her, I would take the attention off of her and do something to piss him off more so he'd forget about her. Whenever it got too hard to deal with, I'd go to this baseball field and smoke weed, just get lost in my own world. Pretend that my life wasn't real."

Ian looked over at him, not able to stop the sympathy that clearly showed in his eyes because Mickey rolled his own. "Stop looking at me like that. Not a big deal. Don't need your pity."

"I used to play little league when I lived on the south side. The last game I played, some kid pissed on first base. He got kicked off the field. A few hours later, Clayton came to get me," Ian told him, smiling at the memory. Until Mickey started laughing hysterically which led to Ian's confused state.

When Mickey calmed down, Ian stared at him expectantly. "That was me. I was the one that pissed on first base," Mickey explained, chuckling softly.

Ian snorted and shook his head. "It's really frustrating that I don't even doubt that."

"We would've known each other if you had stayed," Mickey pointed out.

"Yeah, and we'd probably hate each other just as much," Ian chuckled as they reached the public mailbox. He slipped the envelope inside and smiled to himself.

"I don't hate you. I just don't like you very much," Mickey shrugged, staring up at him.

"Oh, that makes me feel better," Ian deadpanned, shaking his head.

"I like you a lot more here than I ever would have if we knew each other in the south side," Mickey replied before turning on his heel and made his way back towards their house.

Ian was left there, trying to pull himself together. He hated Mickey. He hated him for being such a sarcastic asshole, hated him for being his only connection to the south side and his siblings, hated him for being right all the damn time.

He hated him because he couldn't hate him. He liked him too much to even consider hating him.

With that, Ian followed behind him, keeping to himself and to his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapters in one day. I've been quite inspired today.

"What's been going on with you lately? You've been unusually quiet for the past week," Mandy said to Ian as they were doing the dishes after dinner.

He supposed she was right. He really hadn't been talking much. He had just turned in his application for West Point which had him a little worked up. He could give her that reason, but it would be a lie if he said that's all that was getting to him.

Mickey. His ability to switch from annoying to pissed off. His ability to make Ian's blood boil and make him want to smile at the same time. It was infuriating, but it was also something that made Ian like him that much more. All the qualities that Mickey had were qualities that Ian had always hated. Until he met Mickey, that is. The second he laid eyes on the older guy, he suddenly loved everything he used to hate.

"I don't know. I guess there's a guy," Ian shrugged, handing her the plate in his hand so she could dry it.

She raised her eyebrows a bit. "Oh yeah? Who is it?"

"Some straight guy. It doesn't matter." He wasn't necessarily lying. That he knew of.

She nodded a little. "Well, I can see why that would have you upset. You're sure he's straight?"

"Pretty sure. It's never been confirmed or denied, but I usually have a clue on someone's sexuality," Ian chuckled as he started washing a glass.

"Yeah? Did you know Aaron was trans when you first met him?" She asked, smirking a bit.

"Being trans isn't his sexuality. It's his gender identity," Ian told her, amused.

"Oh," she chuckled. "I'm becoming more and more politically correct since I've been here."

Ian laughed and shook his head, rinsing the glass off and handing it to her.

"Are you really sure he's straight? Maybe you read the signals wrong?" She offered, raising one shoulder.

"I don't know. I mean, he never talks about guys or girls. Maybe he's not attracted to either. It would be risky to try anything, though. Anything involving a possibly straight guy and gay guy is risky. If he is gay, he's in the closet and it's awful trying to make anything work with someone in the closet. If he's straight, I'll get my teeth knocked out."

"Geez, you're making it sound like we're in the south side," Mandy chuckled.

Ian winced slightly, hoping Mandy didn't see it. The truth was, he was indirectly dealing with the south side. He just hoped that Mandy wouldn't put the pieces together. If anyone found out that Ian wanted Mickey, they'd get shipped off somewhere that would undoubtedly be a million times worse than this. He cared about them way too much to let that happen.

"Look, maybe you should go for it. What's the worst that could happen? If he hits you, I have plenty of practice cleaning someone up after they get the shit beat out of them. But it could work out exactly how you want it to," she smiled softly and finished drying off the last dish. "I'm gonna go do some homework so I don't have to worry about it at Aaron's Halloween party tomorrow. You're coming, right?"

Ian nodded and she went upstairs. Ian sighed softly and dried his hands off, thinking over what Mandy had said. So many risks came with wanting Mickey. Mickey could reject him and things would be awkward until Mickey went away for college. Mickey could want him back and then be shipped off when someone caught them. His parents could offer to adopt them and then Mickey really would be his brother. It could work out, though. Mickey could want him back. They might not get caught. Mickey might never become his actual brother. He could end up happy with Mickey.

He shook his head, realizing he was getting ahead of himself. They were just teenagers. Most teenage relationships failed within a year. Especially once college becomes a factor. Ian had just applied to West Point, which meant he might have to choose between his dream school and Mickey. He hated that he already knew the answer. It would be West Point. It would always be West Point. Just like Mickey would choose Mandy over him. They would eventually be pulled apart and there wouldn't be a single thing either of them could do about it.

Ian gnawed at his lip and went upstairs, knocking softly on Mickey's door. He went in once he was giving the go-ahead and shut the door behind him. Mickey looked at him expectingly, putting the magazine he was reading down beside him.

"I like you. I like you a lot and I don't know why. You're arrogant and irritating and probably straight. You have Mandy and I have West Point and it would never ever work but if I didn't get it out there, I was going to start losing hair. So, there. I've told you and now all I want to know is if you're going to Aaron's party or not," Ian finished, avoiding Mickey's eyes.

He heard some shuffling and looked up from the floor when Mickey was standing in front of him. His breath hitched when Mickey rested his hands on his hips, looking into his eyes.

"You can't do this, Ian. Just having this conversation could get me and Mandy kicked out of the house," he mumbled, regret in his eyes.

"I know," Ian replied just above a whisper. "That's the last thing I want. I don't want you guys to end up somewhere worse. I just had to tell you. After two months, I had to tell you."

"You shouldn't have told me. It's going to be even harder now. It was easy to push away when I thought you hated me. It's going to be nearly impossible now," Mickey chuckled bitterly, stepping away. "You should go."

"Are you coming to the party? There'll be free beer," Ian offered, ignoring that clenching in his chest.

"No. You guys have fun. I'm gonna stay in," Mickey replied, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Ian pressed his lips together before walking over to him. "Tell me to stop and I will," Ian said quietly, looking Mickey in the eye and leaning forward inch by inch.

Mickey shook his head and moved back. Ian's shoulders slumped and he stood up straight, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We can't do this, Ian. We can't. Mandy is more important, okay? Do you get that?" Mickey asked pleadingly, to which Ian could only nod.

He did get it. He knew why this was a bad idea. He came to Mickey's room just to let his feelings out and he got ahead of himself again. He was always getting ahead of himself. It was his worst quality. Everyone always told him that. He did things without thinking them through, or he'd think them through completely and get overwhelmed with the endless possibilities. Or in this case, he'd think things through, know it was a terrible idea, but do it anyway before he had the chance to stop himself.

He ran his hand through his hair and bit down on his lip roughly. "I'm sorry. I know Mandy comes first. She comes first to me, too. Trust me. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. To either of you."

Mickey let out a relieved sigh. "I'm sorry. This is just how it has to be. Until I'm eighteen, at least."

Ian would be lying if he said that didn't give him a little hope. He smiled sadly and nodded. "I'll be back when you're eighteen. Don't talk to me until then," Ian teased and Mickey replied by throwing a pillow at Ian's head, making him laugh.

He left Mickey's room and leaned against the wall beside his door. Ten months. Ten months until Mickey was eighteen. Ten months until anything could happen between them. Mandy was right. Maybe it would work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	8. Chapter 8

"You're not even gonna try to dress up?" Mandy asked, raising an eyebrow as she stood in the doorway of Ian's room.

He turned and looked at her, chuckling softly as he pulled on a grey sweat shirt to go with his black skinny jeans and white converse.

"Nah. It's just Aaron. He throws the same party every year. Most people get really into it, but when you're pretty much obligated to go, it gets a little boring. Aaron has successfully made me hate Halloween," Ian replied, grabbing his house keys and his wallet.

Mandy's eyes widened and she put her hand over her heart. "How can someone hate Halloween? The hot chocolate, the candy, the scary movies, the colors, the weather. It's all so perfect. And I just starting to think he was good enough to hang out with. He's ruined you. Why do you let that negativity be such a prominent part of your life?"

Ian chuckled and rolled his eyes playfully. "Let's go try to talk Mickey into coming one more time," he said and flicked the witches hat on her head before making his way downstairs to the living room.

Mickey was sat on the couch with a book while Ian's parents were quietly watching tv.

"Mick, I really think you should come tonight," Ian said, stopping behind the couch where Mickey was sat.

Mickey looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Thank you for your opinion. I'll be sure to think about it and let you know tomorrow."

Ian sighed heavily. "The only people you talk to at school are Mandy and me. Sometimes Aaron if the stick up your ass adjusts at just the right angle."

That earned disappointing looks from both parents, a middle finger from Mickey, and a bark of laughter from Mandy.

"Come on, Mick. At least pretend to enjoy socializing," Mandy pleaded, giving her brother the best puppy eyes she could manage.

"Maybe you should go, Mickey," Clayton interjected. "It'll be fun. You should make some friends."

"Do I have a choice?" Mickey asked, giving Clayton a pointed look.

"Nope," he replied, giving the teenager a wide grin.

Mickey sighed and stood up, grabbing his shoes and slipped them on as he put his small book in his back pocket. "Lets fucking go," Mickey grumbled, walking out the front door.

Mandy squealed excitedly and ran after her brother.

"No later than one, Ian. No drinking," his dad told him sternly.

"Don't worry, dad. You'll still have your squeaky clean son by the end of the night," he replied, walking out of the house and shut the door behind him.

They walked through the door and Ian quickly chugged the drink that Aaron shoved into his hand. While he was chugging, Mandy took Aaron's drink and dragged him in for a hug while Mickey stood to the side awkwardly.

"You want a drink?" Ian asked, nodding his head towards the keg.

"On probation. Can't," Mickey said and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

"Your brother sucks the fun out of everything," Ian said to Mandy who silently agreed.

Ian smiled brightly and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the middle of the living room so they could dance. He twirled her around, making her giggle. He loved seeing her so happy. When he first met her, she was just a shy girl who wanted nothing but her big brother. Now, she was happy. She was laughing and carefree. He couldn't ask for anything more. He wanted his foster siblings to be happy before he even met them. Now that he knew them, though, it was so much more rewarding to see them happy.

He hadn't really seen Mickey happy yet, but he assumed if Mandy was happy, Mickey would be, too. There was no denying that Mandy was fucking happy. Maybe not in general, but in this moment, she was happiest he'd ever seen a person, and he wouldn't trade this for the world. Seeing her like this made it a little easier to bury his feelings for her brother. It wasn't much easier, but easier, nonetheless.

He hated that he almost ruined this for her. She deserved to stop living in fear. She deserved to tell her story and have a happy ending to go with it. He couldn't fuck this up. He refused.

"I'm gonna go get another drink. You want one?" He asked into her ear so she could hear him over the music.

She smiled and nodded, continuing to dance as he stepped away. He made his way to the keg and grabbed two solo cups, filling them up to the brim.

When he returned to the spot he had left Mandy, she wasn't there. He raised an eyebrow and looked around, no trace of her in the living room. He shrugged and downed his beer before starting on the one he got for Mandy. He was starting to feel pretty buzzed as he finished the last of it and got another one. He took a few hits from a joint that was shoved in his hand before he went to go look for Mandy.

He casually sipped the beer in his hand as he made his way upstairs, deciding to check Aaron's room first. He stumbled his way into his best friends room. It took a second for his eyes to focus on what was in front of him, but when they did, he saw Mandy straddling Aaron's waist with her shirt off. Aaron's shirt was pushed up his chest so it didn't take long for Ian to figure out what was going on, even in his drunken state.

"Shit, sorry," he mumbled before backing out and shutting the door.

Mandy and Aaron. Well, that was one thing he wasn't expecting to see tonight. It wasn't that he disapproved, he didn't. Aaron was a great guy and Mandy was an even greater girl. He just couldn't help but wonder if this had been going on for awhile. They seemed so comfortable. He wanted to be upset about the possibility that he was lied to, but he had been lying to Mandy for months about his feelings for her brother.

He sighed softly and downed the rest of his beer before going to the backyard where the pool was. The pool was drained, too cold for Aaron's family to actually keep water in it so he jumped inside and laid down, staring at the sky.

He enjoyed the quiet. Well, as quiet as it could be at a high school party. Until he heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked over just as Mickey was climbing into the pool.

"You trying to drown yourself? Pretty sure you need water for that," Mickey said, sitting down with his legs crossed next to Ian's horizontal position.

"What do you want, Mickey?" He slurred, letting his eyes fall shut.

"I'm socializing. Isn't that why I'm here? To socialize?" Mickey replied. Ian's eyes were closed but he could tell Mickey was sporting his infamous smirk that he wore every time he was being an asshole.

"You were supposed to socialize with other people. That is why you're here. Because you only ever talk to Mandy and me," Ian pointed out, turning his head to the side and looking at Mickey.

"You're drunk," he said simply.

"Don't have to hit you with a truck," Ian said sarcastically, raising his eyebrows.

"You're not a happy drunk. I always thought you'd be an annoying, happy, stupid drunk. You surprise me everyday, Gallagher."

"I usually am," Ian shrugged.

"What's different about tonight, then?"

Ian chuckled. "I walked in on my best friend making out with my foster sister. I'm trying to process."

"I'm gonna kill him," Mickey said and started to get up but Ian stopped him, grabbing his hand.

"Don't worry. Aaron's a really good guy. I promise. He won't hurt her. I care about her a lot. I wouldn't leave her alone with him if he was bad. I hope you know that."

Mickey sighed softly and decided to lay down next to Ian. "I know that. I trust you with her and if you trust him, I guess I do, too."

Ian's eyes widened and he looked over at the brunette. Mickey saying he trusted you with his sister was the greatest compliment you could ever get from him. His sister was his everything. He would probably cry if he didn't think Mickey would brake his nose for it.

"Thank you," Ian said quietly, not taking his eyes off of Mickey.

Mickey nodded and turned his head to look at the stars. They sat in silence, enjoying the others company.

"Do you miss it?" Ian asked quietly.

"Miss what?"

"The south side. Obviously you wouldn't miss the shitty environment, but the atmosphere? After living there for so long. Do you miss it?"

Mickey shrugged. "I miss it because it was all I ever knew, but if I could've never been there in the first place, I would've been happy to be anywhere else. It's home, though. Always will be."

"Do you hate being here? Are you miserable? You seem miserable most of the time."

Mickey seemed to contemplate his next words before finally speaking. "I do hate it here. Mostly because being here means being near you. I hate being near you because if I ever decide to let go, it'll fuck everything up for Mandy."

Ian nodded slowly. "See, you say things like that and make me think you actually want to be with me. You can't say things like that when I'm drunk. I don't have any control when I'm drunk."

Mickey sighed softly. "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be saying shit like that. Too risky."

Ian bit his lip. "Just let me kiss you once. No one is here. No one will see. It's just us. I'll never do it again, I swear," Ian pleaded, pushing his body up on his elbow.

"Ian, we can't. Please," he mumbled, turning away from the red head.

"Just once," he whispered, grabbing Mickey's chin softly and turned his head. He was surprised that it barley took any effort to get him to comply. "Just once," he said again and leaned forward.

"Fuck it," Mickey breathed and met Ian half way, smashing their lips together.

Ian let out a soft hum, wrapping an arm around Mickey's waist and pulled him closer. Kissing Mickey was everything he'd ever imagined, and he'd imagined it so many times. In the shower, before he fell asleep, when he zoned out in class. He imagined it equally hard and soft. He imagined it being desperate. He imagined it being perfect. It was all of those things.

They were pulled out of their trance when someone from above cleared their throat. They pulled away and looked up, only to see the one face that was the reason they couldn't be doing this.

"Just came to say sorry for making out with your best friend. Guess you already forgot about it, though," Mandy said, smirking a bit. "This is the guy you were telling me about last night?"

Ian ran a hand over his face, unable to focus due to the four beers he chugged. "Uhm..." he started, but was pulled out of his head when Mickey was standing up and jumping out of the pool.

"Mickey, wait," he called after him, but Mickey ignored him and continued walking, quickening his pace. Ian sighed heavily and laid on his back. "Sorry," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

"It's fine. Come on, let's get you home," Mandy said, helping him out. They walked all the way home in silence. Ian was more than grateful that Mandy wasn't saying anything about what she had just seen. She was probably furious with him. With Mickey.

Mickey. He didn't know where he went. He was worried about him. Mickey wasn't going to talk to him ever again. He fucked up royally and if he knew anything about Mickey, it was that Mickey was not a forgiving person. Ian was fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/twitter: Miilkobitch


	9. Chapter 9

It had been two days since Ian drunkenly kissed his foster brother. Two days since he put Mickey and Mandy in jeopardy of being shipped off. Two days since he started kicking himself in the ass. Two days since he last saw Mickey.

It was safe to say that Mickey had indeed ran away. It was all his fault. He could see the worry in Mandy's face. They were both terrified that he might not ever come back. Ian needed to apologize. He had to make it right. For Mickey and Mandy, he had to make it right. They deserved the best life possible. He couldn't let his reckless, stupid, drunken decision ruin it for them.

"Where did you say Mickey went again?" Ian's mom asked as they sat down for dinner.

"He went to visit our brother. Iggy. They weren't all that close, but I guess he's just trying to insert some normality in his life or something," Mandy shrugged, lying easily.

Ian was pretty impressed, if he was being honest. He'd never be able to pull that lie off. He's lied to his parents before, but it usually took a lot of planning and preparation. He was never good at coming up with lies on the spot and under pressure but Mandy was a natural. He admired her for it in the moment.

"Well, if you talk to him, could you have come back and check in? I just wanna see his face and make sure he's okay," Lucy replied, smiling softly.

Mandy looked taken aback. Like it was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard. "Really? That's... different."

"What's different?" Clayton asked, tilting his head to the side.

"No one's ever..." she paused to gather her thoughts. "Cared," she finished, pushing her food around on her plate.

The table fell silent as the Gallagher's registered what she had said. Ian had always assumed that that was the case, but he never heard it said out loud. His heart broke for them. He took a deep breath and leaned over, kissing Mandy on the cheek.

"I gotta go to Aaron's for a project. I'll be back soon," he announced and stood up, ignoring the confused looks on everyone's faces.

"Son, you've barely touched your food. You need to eat," Clayton told him, obviously trying not to make a scene out of his disapproval.

"It's a really important project. Twenty percent of my grade. Gotta go," he shrugged and left the kitchen. He wasn't necessarily lying. He was doing a project with Aaron that was worth twenty percent of their grade. He just wasn't going to be working on it tonight.

He made his way to the L, determination running through his veins. He had to make it right and he had to do it as soon as he possibly could.

The L stopped in the south side and he got off, taking a second to prepare himself. He hadn't been in the south side since that day two years ago. The day he realized that his family wasn't his family anymore. He took a few breaths before making his way out into the street, trying to think of where Mickey would go. He knew he would come here, though. He knew he'd come home. He was wracking his brain for anything Mickey might've said casually during one of their weird fights that always led to opening up about something personal.

He watched his feet as he walked, gnawing on his bottom lip. He was pulled from his thoughts when he bumped into someone, letting out a grunt and a quick apology.

He looked up and was faced with a pair of large brown eyes and brown wavy hair. She looked exactly the same as she did two years ago. She was beautiful. She was his big sister. Air was caught in Ian's throat which prevented him from talking and Fiona was looking at him with a confused expression. Probably because he was looking at her with wide eyes and he couldn't make himself stop.

"You look really familiar. I feel like I know you from somewhere," she said, her voice soft. She tilted her head the side and squinted her eyes. "Help me out here. Tell me I'm not crazy. What's your name?"

"Uhm. Ian. My names Ian. Ian Gallagher," he told her, forcing himself to finally speak.

He could pin point the exact moment Fiona's face went from confusion to realization. He was terrified. All of the fears that he had since he was kid came rushing back. Was she going to brush him off? Walk away? He didn't realize how badly he wanted her acceptance until just then.

Tears formed in her waterline and she put her hand over her mouth. She wouldn't stop staring at him. He didn't know if he should be concerned or happy. He reached into his pocket and pulled his wallet out, opening it to show her the picture of her, Lip, and himself.

"It's good to see you, Fiona," he mumbled as she looked over the picture.

She sniffled a bit and grabbed him, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. He didn't mind at all. He hugged her back with just as much force, stuffing his face in her neck. It was the exact opposite of what he thought would happen. They stayed like that for awhile until Fiona forcefully pushed him away and gave him a stern look.

"It's you, isn't it? You're the one who's been sending the money every month, aren't you?" She questioned, putting her hands on her hips.

Ian looked at the ground sheepishly and shrugged. "Yeah. It's me," he admitted, hoping she wouldn't scream at him.

"And why the hell did you send money instead of knocking on the damn door, huh?"

"Didn't think you guys would remember me. Or that maybe you did remember me and would hate me for leaving. I don't know. Insecure, I guess," Ian told her, scratching the back of his neck.

"Ian, you were five. You didn't have a choice. We couldn't hold that against you. I'm mad that you found us and didn't say anything. Lip and I talk about you all the time. We'd never forget you, sweet face," she told him, putting her hands on his cheeks and making him look at her.

"I'm sorry. I was just scared. Didn't feel like I belonged," Ian explained, putting his hands over hers.

She sighed softly and kissed his forehead before pulling her cellphone out and handed it to him. "Put your number in there. I have to get to work but I wanna call you tonight."

Ian smiled a little and nodded, programming his number and calling himself so he had her number as well. He handed the phone back to her and she pulled him in for another hug. "Thank you for the money. It helps more than you know," she mumbled, kissing the side of his face.

"'Course," he smiled softly and rubbed her back. He watched as she walked away and bit down on his lip when a thought popped into his head. "Hey, Fiona!"

She turned and looked at him expectantly.

"Where's the baseball field?" She chuckled and pointed him the right direction. He thanked her quickly before running off, feeling like he could do absolutely anything after his reunion with his sister.

He climbed the fence and looked around the area, but there was no sign of Mickey. He was so sure that he would've been here. He sighed softly and started kicking at the dirt, when he realized that he hadn't checked the dugout.

He walked quickly, letting out a breath of relief when he saw Mickey. Mickey looked up and groaned when he saw Ian.

"I need to stop telling you shit after heated arguments," he mumbled.

"You gotta come back, Mickey. Mandy is worried. I swear, I will stay away from you. I'll avoid being home as much as possible and stay in my room when I am home. I'll only speak when spoken to. I won't so much as breathe in your direction. But please, you have to come back," Ian told him, sitting as far from the brunette as he could.

"I can't. Mandy has so much going for her there. I'm only going to ruin it for her," Mickey shrugged.

"No. No, you won't. I'm the issue, right? So I'm taking myself out of the equation. You can come back and everything will be fine. You and Mandy won't have to worry about anything or anyone ruining it for you."

Mickey sighed. "Look, Ian. If you stay sober, I have no doubt that you'll be able to keep your distance. It's not you that I'm worried about. It's me. I can't trust myself to be around you."

"Mick, come on. You have to. Mandy will kill me if you don't. She needs you. We can do this. We can stay away from each other. I know we can," he said confidently.

Mickey gnawed on his lip. "What if we can't? What if it happens again?"

"It won't. Please, Mickey. My parents are worried, Mandy is worried. I was worried," Ian said the last part quietly.

Mickey looked at him for a moment and nodded. "Okay. Fine," he mumbled and stood up.

"You were here the whole time? It's freezing. You must be starving. You kinda stink, too. Real bad," Ian said as they climbed the fence.

"Yeah, fuck you," Mickey replied as he dropped down on the other side.

Ian smiled to himself, happy to know the he finally did something right. This was the most eventful day of his life. He couldn't wait to see Mandy's face when she saw Mickey. He really couldn't wait to hear Fiona's voice later that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently adding a bunch of chapters in a short period of time is my thing. Pretty sure this makes the 7th update in the past 2 days. Whoops.

It'd been a few weeks since Ian ran into Fiona. They talked every night and texted throughout the day. He hadn't told anyone about it, though. Not even Aaron. He felt like if he said something, he'd jinx it. From what he understood, Fiona hadn't told anyone either. It was their little secret. There were times when Ian really wanted to tell Mickey. Tell him how happy he was and how much he wished Fiona could meet him. He couldn't do that, though. He couldn't talk to Mickey unless it was truly necessary. He promised he would keep his distance and that's what he was doing.

He was texting Fiona in class seeing as all of his work was done and had nothing more important to do.

Fiona: (1:38 pm) What are u doing texting me? Shouldn't u be in class?

Ian: (1:38 pm) I am in class. Don't have any work to do.

Ian: (1:40 pm) Look, I was wondering if maybe you and Lip might wanna come have dinner with my family. For Thanksgiving. I know this is kinda last minute, but I'd really like for you guys to come.

Fiona: (1:41 pm) what about Debbie, Carl, and Liam?

Ian: (1:43 pm) I want to meet them. I really do. I just want to get reacquainted with you guys first. I need to take it slow. I didn't think I'd ever talk to you guys again. I need some time. If that's okay.

Fiona: (1:43 pm) I get it. I'll talk to Lip and get back to you. I'm sure he won't mind.

Ian smiled at his phone, feeling like Fiona even talking to Lip about it was a small victory in itself.

"Mr. Gallagher, you know the rules. No phones in class," Mr. Beck said, grabbing Ian's phone from his hands and looked at the screen. "And who is this Fiona you've been texting all period?" He asked, his eyebrow raising in suspicion.

Ian saw Aaron's head snap towards him with a confused face. The cat was out of the bag.

Ian sighed. "She's my sister," he told him quietly, snatching the phone back and put it in his pocket. "Not that it's any of your business. Thanks for that."

The bell rang at that moment and Ian shot up, grabbing his things and rushed out of the room, hoping to avoid Aaron. Unfortunately, Ian was never lucky when it came to avoiding his best friend.

"Dude, what the hell?" Aaron asked as he put a hand on Ian's shoulder, turning him around. "You finally reached out to your family? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, sounding hurt.

"I didn't reach out. We literally bumped into each other on the street. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to tell anyone. I don't want to talk about it and then jinx it or something. Things haven't really been working out in my favor lately. At this rate, I won't even get accepted to West Point," Ian sighed softly. "It wasn't you, okay?"

Aaron nodded. "I get it. What's she like? Do you talk to all of them?"

Ian shook his head. "Just Fiona. She kinda reminds me of my mom, honestly. It's weird. She even scolds me," Ian chuckled.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Well, I kissed Mickey at your party, he ran away, I went to go find him and I ran into her when I was looking for him," Ian replied, his face heating up when he realized how little he'd told his best friend lately.

Aaron didn't look phased, though, and continued with his questioning. "Did you tell her about the money?"

"Didn't you hear me? I kissed Mickey," Ian repeated, wondering why Aaron didn't even care that he's been left in the dark for so long.

"I already knew that. Mandy told me," Aaron said, furrowing his eyebrows as if Ian shouldn't be shocked that Mandy told him things like that.

"You were gossiping with my foster sister?" Ian chuckled, raising his eyebrows.

"No, it's not like that. I guess we're kinda a thing now. I don't know. It's not serious or anything," Aaron shrugged.

Ian nodded slowly. "Okay. I'm not saving your ass if you end up hurting her and Mickey comes for you."

"I bet you want Mickey to cum for you," Aaron teased, flicking his eyebrows.

"Okay, that was really lame. I say this because I care about you, don't ever make that joke again. It was awful. Now, I need to go to my next class and try to figure out how I'm supposed to tell Lucy and Clayton that I invited my long lost siblings to thanksgiving dinner all while trying to stay at least fifty feet from Mickey," Ian smiled sarcastically and made his way down the hall, leaving a very offended Aaron behind.

When Ian arrived home that day, Mickey was sitting on the couch, studying. Ian pretended to pay him no mind as he walked past, but he really couldn't take his eyes off of him. He really missed him. He missed their heated arguments, he missed their banter, he missed their strange way of making up after a fight. He even missed kissing him which was strange seeing as they only kissed the one time. Feelings aside, he felt like he had formed a friendship with Mickey. Now, all he got was glances in passing and thirty minutes at lunch. Lunch was worse than anything because they ignored each other the entire time.

Ian sighed and dropped his bag on the table, getting the attention of his parents.

"I've invited some people over for Thanksgiving," he said simply, looking back and forth between them.

"Friends from school?" His mom asked curiously.

Ian shook his head. "No. My brother and sister."

His dad's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"Fiona and Lip. I've invited them for Thanksgiving. I caught up with Fiona a few weeks ago and I want to get to know them better. Feel free to say no, but that'll only mean that I won't be spending Thanksgiving here," Ian shrugged, raising his eyebrows.

"Okay, sweetie. No need to be so dramatic. Of course, they can come," his mom said sweetly and kissed the side of his head.

Ian nodded and made his way back into the living room so he could go upstairs and lock himself in his room until dinner like he always did.

"You finally reached out to them?" Mickey asked, making Ian jump a little. It was the first time Mickey had spoken to him unprovoked.

Ian smiled a little and nodded. "Yeah. Kinda. Only talking to Fiona right now, and I didn't really reach out to her. We just kinda found each other. The day I went to find you," Ian explained, avoiding Mickey's eyes.

"You saw your sister right before you found me? That's a big deal, man. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was more concerned about getting you back here for Mandy than I was about my own shit. Haven't told anyone until today," Ian told him, running a hand over his shaved head.

"Sit down. Avoiding each other is annoying," Mickey said, smiling sadly.

Ian shook his head. "I can't, Mickey. Even just talking to you right now is making me want to crawl out of my skin. Nine months. Just don't go getting yourself adopted or anything," Ian teased and went upstairs, stopping himself from looking back at Mickey's disappointed face.

At the top of the steps, he looked between his bedroom door and Mandy's, trying to decide if he wanted to be alone or not. He bit down on his lip and went into Mandy's room. She was laying on her bed with headphones in, smiling at her phone. Ian assumed she was texting Aaron. He was so happy for both of them that he couldn't help the smile on his face.

He crawled onto Mandy's bed and laid his head on her stomach. She jumped a bit but calmed down when she realized who was with her. She looked at him curiously and took her headphones out, scratching his head softly.

"What's up?" She asked, putting her phone down.

"I miss him. You're the closest thing I have to him that I can actually be around," he shrugged, hugging her waist.

Mandy barked out a laugh and flicked his forehead. "Way to make a girl feel loved, asshole."

"Sorry. Would you rather I lie?" He chuckled, looking up at her.

"No, I guess not. I know it's hard, but no one is forcing you guys to stay away from each other. I'll be fine. All you have to do is make sure your parents don't find out," Mandy shrugged.

"It's not that simple. If they do catch us, you guys could end up in a horrible place. I'm not letting that happen. Especially not because of me."

"You're such an idiot sometimes," she shook her head. "You're crazy about him. He's crazy about you. He was in here last night having the same exact conversation with me. It's killing both of you. Kiss and make up."

"There will be no kissing. And we don't need to make up. We're not fighting. We're keeping our distance until he's eighteen and hoping my parents don't decide to adopt him," Ian mumbled, stuffing his face in her stomach.

"You're gonna let yourself be miserable for nine months? Really?"

"It's not that long. Nine months is nothing compared to the time we'll have if we work out. I can wait nine months. You're just gonna have to deal with me pouting about it in the mean time."

"You guys are ridiculous," she rolled her eyes and put her headphones back in, clearly done talking to him.

Ian felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out, smiling at the text.

Fiona: (3:36 pm) Lip and I will be there. Can't wait to see u.

Things may be bad with Mickey, but they were looking up in the family department. He couldn't wait either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter might take a little more time because *SPOILER* there will be smut and I get major writers block when I write smut.

Ian was standing in front of his mirror, getting dressed. Nerves were taking over his body, his hands shaking slightly as he buttoned up his shirt. He hated that he was this nervous. He was supposed to be confident and put together. This was his family, after all. He just couldn't get himself to chill out. The thoughts of not being good enough for them that had been clouding his mind for years were back with a vengeance and they weren't going easy on him. He had a feeling in his stomach that this was going to go badly.

"You're trying too hard," he heard from his doorway and turned around, seeing Mickey leaning against the doorway. "You don't need to be all dressed up. They don't care what you look like," he clarified and went to Ian's closet, looking through his shirts. He pulled out a green t-shirt and threw it at him. "Wear that. Greens a good color on you."

"Your gay is showing," Ian teased, passing the shirt back and forth between his hands.

"Fuck you," Mickey chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "So, you're really gonna pretend I don't exist until August? Right before I go off to college? Seems like a waste."

Ian sighed softly. "I have to. You and Mandy mean a lot to me. Can't let anything bad happen to you," Ian shrugged.

Mickey nodded slowly. "Alright. Just wish we could be friends. That would make all of this a lot easier."

"I'd have to disagree. Being around you but knowing that I can't actually be with you is definitely a lot harder," Ian replied, putting his head down.

"You should get ready. They'll be here soon," Mickey said softly, turning around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Ian gnawed on his lip as he unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it off of his shoulders. He threw the t-shirt on and chuckled as he looked at himself. Mickey was right. Green was a good color on him.

His entire body froze when he heard the doorbell. This was it. He was having thanksgiving dinner with his sister who took care of him for the first five years of his life and his brother who was once his best friend. He took a deep breath and made his way downstairs.

Mandy gave him a reassuring smile as he passed her and he nodded his head. He stopped in his tracks as he got to the bottom of the stairs, looking into the eyes of his older brother. His stomach dropped and he gripped the banister to ground himself.

Anything he had been planning to say completely left his head the second he saw him. His mouth was dry and he had no idea what to expect. He was taken by surprise when Lip grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug, but he hugged back instantly, squeezing his eyes shut to prevent himself from crying.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, taking in the reality of finally being in each other presence after all these years. They pulled apart and looked at each other, small smiles resting on their faces.

"Good to see you," Lip said and patted Ian's shoulder. He turned and saw Mickey, raising his eyebrows. "Milkovich? The fuck are you doing here?" He chuckled.

"Live here," Mickey said shortly before walking off to the kitchen.

"Mandy lives here, too. Foster siblings," Ian explained to his siblings who looked at him expectantly.

They nodded in understanding and Ian took their jackets, hanging them up. He let out a deep breath, happy that the hard part was over and led them to the kitchen.

"I hope I wasn't too much of an ass by not inviting the others," Ian said sheepishly.

"Don't even worry about it, man. We already ate with them. They're hanging out with the neighbors until we get back," Lip explained, Fiona rubbing Ian's back reassuringly.

Clayton and Lucy joined them in the kitchen then, Lucy was just as pleasant as she always was, but his dad wasn't even smiling. Ian gave him a warning look, hoping that his dad would get the hint and not start any trouble.

They were half way through dinner and everything was going great all things considered. Mickey insisted on sitting next to Ian which made his skin crawl but he plastered on a smile because he refused to let anything ruin this for him.

"So, how are things, Uncle Clayton? Haven't seen you in a while," Lip said and Ian felt that worried feeling in his stomach. "Pretty sure the last time was when you ripped our little brother away from us and never let us see him again."

Ian groaned quietly and shut his eyes. He knew a confrontation was a possibility, he just didn't think it'd happen that this early.

His dad sighed and shook his head. "I did what was best for my son. You're not a parent. You don't understand."

"I'm a parent and I still don't understand," Fiona spoke up. "I'm raising four kids and I don't understand. Why did you only take him? Why not all four of us? Debbie was an infant and you didn't care that she was in a bad neighborhood. Why didn't you even let him visit us?"

"You wanted me to take in four kids? At one time? You're delusional," Clayton chuckled, shaking his head.

"Yeah, maybe. Maybe I'm delusional. But what I know for a fact is that you didn't care that I was nine and already raising kids. Thought we were family," Fiona shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "I also know that you took our brother from us. And if I hadn't been in the right place at the right time, I probably would've never spoken to him again."

Clayton wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up. "It's time for you two to leave."

"No, it's not," Ian spoke up. "I wanted today to go smoothly, but they deserve some answers. If you're not going to give them that, fine. But they're always welcome in my home. And the next time you speak ill of their neighborhood and indirectly speaking ill of them, try to keep in mind that Mickey and Mandy are from the same place."

Mickey rubbed Ian's back soothingly but it only made him tense up. Mickey reluctantly pulled his hand away and Ian let his body sag, rubbing his hand over his head.

"This is my home and I say who can and can't be here. You're the child, Ian. You don't make the rules," Clayton told him with a hard face, almost daring him to continue.

Ian nodded slowly and stood up. "They have a right to be pissed. I'm staying at Aaron's tonight," he mumbled and pushed his chair in, going upstairs to pack some clothes.

He would've been delusional if he thought something like this wouldn't happen. He knew there would animosity between the three of them. It had probably been a mistake to invite them. He figured at this point, Fiona and Lip would want nothing else to do with him. He'd understand if that was case. Ian and Clayton were a package deal until he was eighteen. They shouldn't have to put up with Clayton just so they could see Ian. They'd gone eleven years without him. They'd be fine to go a couple more.

Ian sighed and grabbed his book bag, dumping his school stuff out and started shoving clothes inside angrily. He jumped slightly when there was a body standing next to him and shook his head.

"Mickey, please. Stop. I can't do this with you right now," he mumbled, zipping the bag up.

"That's a lot of clothes. You gonna be gone long?" Mickey asked, flicking his nostril with his knuckle.

Ian shook his head. "Few days. Gotta go," he replied shortly, putting his bag on his shoulder and looked at Mickey expectantly, waiting for him to move.

Mickey gnawed on his lip, staring into Ian's eyes. He leaned up and pressed his lips softly against Ian's, holding the back of his neck. Ian wanted to fight him off but found himself sinking into it. It felt the exact way it had felt the first time. He couldn't feel the floor beneath him as Mickey slid his tongue over Ian's bottom lip. Ian's tongue peaked out and met Mickey's, tangling together as soon as they met.

Ian pulled away a few moments later, pressing his forehead against Mickey's. He hadn't realized how much he needed that until just then.

"I'll see you when you get back," Mickey said quietly, tapping Ian's cheek twice. He turned to leave but stopped in his tracks when he saw Lip standing in the doorway with a smug expression.

"Are we ever going to kiss without a sibling catching us?" Ian mumbled to himself, shaking his head.

"Hey, I don't give a shit. Just never thought Milkovich was gay," Lip chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Mickey, I'll see you later," Ian said, pushing Mickey out of the room when he saw his fists clench.

Mickey complied and Ian sighed in relief. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for Lip to say something. Anything.

"I knew the chances of someone in our family being gay were really high. There's so many of us that at least one is bound to take it up the ass. My money was on you. Fiona's gonna be pissed. She thought it'd be Carl," Lip chuckled and shut the door. "Don't worry. We don't really care who you bang. Stop looking at me like I'm gonna beat the shit out of you."

Ian nodded slowly. "I was more worried about your opinion on the whole foster brother thing than I was about the gay thing. Fortunately, I've never had to be scared to be gay."

Lip nodded. "Guess you don't have to worry about that in a place like this. You like it here?"

Ian shrugged. "Used to. It's too complicated to be happy now. Can't be with Mickey. Can't have you guys here even though we're talking. Can't have a say in what changes are made in my life. Guess I just want a choice for once."

"Well. For the record, I don't care about Mickey. He's not your real brother. Just don't let him treat you like shit."

Ian chuckled. "I think I'm the one that's been treating him like shit lately."

"Why's that?" Lip asked, tilting his head to the side.

Ian pursed his lips. "If this keeps happening between us, they won't be able to stay here anymore. So I've been staying away from him. He's not very happy about it."

"If you're making him unhappy by protecting him then you're not really treating him like shit," Lip pointed out. "Look, we gotta go. But I wanna see you again. Maybe we can get coffee sometime?"

Ian nodded enthusiastically, wanting nothing more than to spend more time with his brother. He was surprised to hear that Lip even wanted to see him again, so he jumped at the opportunity.

"Alright. I'll get your number from Fi. I'll see you soon, little brother," he smiled a little and walked out.

Ian waited until he heard the front door shut and made his way downstairs. He didn't even look at his dad before he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

"Hey, Ian! You want a ride to your friends house?"

Ian turned around to see Fiona standing by her car and he nodded, walking quickly and got in the back seat. He couldn't be more grateful for his older siblings in that moment. They had helped him today more than they'd ever realize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally lied. No smut in this chapter. It just didn't feel right. If there's any smut at all, it'll probably be more towards the end. I don't feel really good about this chapter, but I needed to post something. Hopefully I'll be back to normal soon.

Ian made his way home three days later. He wasn't looking forward to seeing his dad. He loved his parents more than anyone in the world, but his dad had douche bag tendencies that made it really had to live with him. Ian knew that everything his dad did for him was with the best intentions in mind, but if someone questioned his intentions, he got very defensive. Clayton seemed to think that, in this situation, questioning his intentions for keeping Ian separated from his family was the most absurd thing he'd ever heard.

All Ian wanted was answers. He needed to know why his dad cut him off from his family. He could've made so many great memories, maybe it would've helped him really figure out who he was. Maybe he would've been able to lean on someone other than his best friend.

Ian approached his house and sighed deeply in an attempt to get the knots in his stomach to untangle. He forced himself to go inside, and threw his book bag on couch. His dad emerged from the kitchen when he heard Ian come in. He had that disappointing expression that would've made Ian feel bad had he not been sporting the same look towards his father.

"Ian Clayton Gallagher. You do not get to storm out of here and disappear for days. You know better than that," Clayton said sternly.

Ian let out a chuckle and shook his head. "I was at Aaron's. I told you that was where I was going."

"I called you a million times. You didn't think it'd be a good idea to check in?" He dad asked, raising an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I turned it off. Didn't wanna talk to someone who kept me from my family until I was too insecure to reach out to them," Ian shrugged, leaning against the couch.

"I'm your father, Ian. I don't answer to you or anyone else about the way I chose to raise my son. I don't want to hear anything more about this. You're where you belong," His father told him with finality in his voice.

"You're ridiculous. You wouldn't be acting like this if you thought you did the right thing. You're being hostile and refusing to talk about it. Sounds like regret, if I've ever heard it," Ian replied, smirking at his father.

Clayton sighed softly and shook his head. He was silent for a while, staring at his son. "I didn't want you to grow up in that neighborhood. I didn't want you to grow up with a mom that bailed and a drunk for a dad. I wanted you to grow up in a safe and loving home," he explained, sitting on the couch. "I made a lot of mistakes. Cheating on your mom, although it gave me you and I would never dream of giving you up, I shouldn't have done it. It put your mom in a lot of pain. If I had a chance to do the right thing for once, I wasn't going to pass it up. So, I found out about you and I wanted to give the life you deserved."

Ian scoffed and shook his head. "So, you took me in to heal your conscious? You take in a charity case and then have him stuck under your thumb for eighteen years? Then what? You'll have done what you set out to do and then I'm just that mistake you made?"

"You're not a mistake and you're not a charity case. You're the love of my life, dummy. I just wanted to do what was best for you in the best way I knew how," Clayton replied. Ian looked in his eyes to find any sign of a bluff but he fell short.

Ian nodded slowly. "I gotta go get my shit together for school tomorrow," he mumbled and grabbed his bag, going upstairs without so much as a glance at his dad.

Ian entered his room and shut the door softly. It only took his dad two minutes to completely exhaust him. He was so ready to continue giving his dad the cold shoulder, but with just a few words, the anger melted away. He felt exhausted.

Ian sat on the edge of his bed and ran his hands over his face. Just as he started to lose the tension in his body, his door swung open.

"Hey, I have something for you," Mickey said, closing the door behind him.

Ian raised an eyebrow, waiting for Mickey to continue. He held up an envelope and smiled a little, tossing it at his foster brother.

Ian grabbed it from his lap and looked it, his stomach dropping when he saw who it was from. "When did this get here?"

"Friday. I grabbed it before anyone could see it. Figured you didn't want a bunch of people hovering when you found out if you were getting into your dream school or not," Mickey shrugged, taking a step back. "I'll let you be alone," he said as he reached for the doorknob.

"Wait," Ian blurted out, making Mickey freeze. "Stay. I want you here."

Mickey nodded slowly and made his way to the bed, sitting down next to Ian.

Ian took a deep breath and ripped the envelope open. His hands started to shake a bit as he took the paper out.

"What if I didn't get in?" Ian mumbled, keeping his eyes on the folded up paper.

Mickey hesitated before shrugging. "Then you still got options. Go into the army when you turn eighteen, go to college, take a year off."

Ian sighed and shook his head, flipping the paper open. He read the entire thing three times before nodding and crumbled the paper up and threw it in the trash.

Mickey looked at him with his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm guessing it wasn't good news?"

Ian shrugged and turned his head, looking Mickey in the eye. "Doesn't matter," he said and pushed Mickey onto his back, straddling his waist. "Don't wanna talk about it," he mumbled and leaned forward, his lips ghosting over Mickey's.

"Ian-" Mickey started but Ian cut him off, pressing his lips firmly against Mickey's. It took a second, but Mickey eventually responded to the kiss, holding the back of Ian's head and trailed his tongue over Ian's bottom lip. Ian parted his lips and let Mickey's tongue push through as he let his hand trail down to the button of Mickey's jeans. He popped them open easily and sat up, pulling his shirt over his head. "Ian, what are you doing?"

"Saving the Pandas, the fuck does it look like I'm doing?" Ian asked, tossing his shirt to the side and leaned forward to reconnect his lips with Mickey's.

"Stop," Mickey said firmly, putting his hands on Ian's waist and moved him away from his lap. "We can't go there. You know that."

"And why the hell not? You're the one who kissed me on Thanksgiving. You're the one who's been pushing for this to happen, and now you're turning me away?"

Mickey sighed and stood up. "You clearly didn't get into West Point. I'm not going to take advantage of you when you're like this. I'm an asshole, but I wouldn't go that far. Besides, I never said I wanted to have sex with you. Getting caught kissing is one thing. But sex? Way too much of a risk."

Ian shook his head. They stayed silent for a while, staring at each other, searching each other's faces. "How long are we gonna have to feel like this?" He mumbled, gnawing on his lip.

Mickey shrugged. "'Til we don't."

"Can you just go away? I have homework," Ian said, laying back on his bed.

"They don't assign homework before Thanksgiving break. You might wanna work on your excuses," Mickey chuckled, going for the door.

Ian ignored him and rolled onto his side. He knew Mickey was right. They couldn't have sex, especially after Ian's dreams went down the toilet, but Ian couldn't think of any other way to help him cope. Ever since Mickey and Mandy came into this house, they've grounded him and helped him through all the battles in his head. He hated that he had to fight this one on his own. He hated that he had to come up with a new plan for his life. He hated that his parents would pretend to be upset about his rejection letter and later celebrate when they thought he'd gone to bed.

The only person he wanted to help him cope was down the hall but he seemed to be a thousand miles away. August couldn't come fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	13. Chapter 13

It had been a month since Ian had gotten rejected from West Point and tried to have sex with Mickey. To Mickey's surprise, things weren't awkward between them at all. They watched tv together, studied in comfortable silence at the table, joked around. They found each other kissing when no one was around and backed away when they felt things might go to far. The end result was constant blue balls and giddiness. Despite his never ending need to get off, Mickey was happy. He knew the risks he was taking and he so badly hoped that they wouldn't get caught. He was taking as many precautions as he possibly could. Locked doors, leaving the neighborhood completely, only showing any kind of affection when no one was around.

As much as he was scared that this would end badly, it felt good to not have to hold back as much. He didn't have to pretend that he felt nothing towards his foster brother. Mandy covered for them a lot and when she couldn't, they went to their baseball field.

Ian's parents had gone on a weekend trip for just the two of them, leaving the teenagers alone. Mickey was grateful for it because the night they left, Ian took it upon himself to sleep in Mickey's room instead of his own. Mickey had his back turned towards his bedroom door, but the second he felt an arm slip around his waist and that very distinctive scent hit his nose, he knew exactly who was getting in his space and he couldn't think of a single complaint, so he turned around to face the red head, chewing on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling.

"Hi," Ian whispered, pushing back the hair that fell onto Mickey's forehead.

"Shut up," Mickey replied without any heat and leaned forward, brushing their lips together and pulled Ian closer.

"You need to work on your manners," Ian chuckled, nipping softly at Mickey's bottom lip.

"You need to work on following instructions," Mickey retorted, closing the small space between their lips, letting his body relax completely as he melted into it. He could feel Ian smiling against his lips. It was contagious. Mickey couldn't help but to smile, too, which left them with their teeth touching more than their lips. "Got my SAT scores the other day. Forgot I even took the SAT. I only went so I could have a day away from Terry."

Ian pulled away and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "How'd you do?" He asked, grabbing Mickey's hand and played with his fingers. Mickey tried to ignore the feeling in his stomach that came with the simple action.

"Twenty-one hundred," Mickey shrugged. He pretended to be nonchalant, but he was actually really excited about it. He could get a scholarship with a score like that. He hadn't even realized he wanted to go to college until he got those scores back.

Ian smiled so wide that Mickey was sure he lit up the room, even just a little bit. "Mickey, that's so great," he told the older boy enthusiastically and started leaving small kisses all over his face.

Mickey was glad that it was dark so Ian couldn't see the instant blush that traveled from his neck all the way up to his ears. "Alright, alright. It's not that big of a deal," Mickey laughed, pushing Ian back a little.

"Bullshit, it's not a big deal. That's amazing," Ian said, taken aback by Mickey's efforts to downplay it. "I'm proud of you," he mumbled, trailing kisses up and down Mickey's neck.

Mickey had never heard those words before. No one has ever been proud of Mickey. He'd never done anything worthy of pride from another person except for the occasional successful run with Terry, and even then, his dad only patted him on the back and told him what he did wrong. It had never bothered him, though. He never even thought about it, but the second the words left Ian's mouth, he found out how much he'd actually craved hearing it.

"You'll have to help me study for mine. I'll need a good score since West Point didn't work out," Ian said against Mickey's naked shoulder.

"What about the army? You can still do that even without West Point," Mickey replied, wishing he hadn't. He didn't want to admit it, but he really didn't want Ian to go off to war. He wanted to keep him as close and as safe as possible, but he also didn't want to keep Ian from his dreams.

Ian shrugged. "I don't know. I've been thinking lately. I don't even know if the army is my dream anymore. I think I just liked the comfortability of having a plan and knowing exactly where I was going so much that I didn't even question if it was what I really wanted. I've thought about doing it since I was a kid. Maybe I just got used it," Ian said, rolling onto his back pulled Mickey into his side. "Maybe I'll just go to college and think about it. If I really want it, the army will still be there."

Mickey nodded. "Alright. I'll help you study," he said, picking at the loose strings at the bottom of Ian's shirt.

Ian kissed the top of Mickey's head. "Where are you gonna go? For college, I mean," Ian asked, playing with Mickey's hair.

"I don't know. I never actually thought about it. I don't even know if I want to go," Mickey told him, taking his bottom lip between his teeth, a habit he'd formed when he was younger whenever he started thinking a lot.

"You have some time. Not much. Pretty sure seniors are supposed to be filling out applications soon."

Mickey chuckled softly. "I'd never be able to afford it."

"There's options. You can get a scholarship for damn near anything. You could play your underprivileged, foster care card. Colleges eat that shit up. I know you hate charity, but sometimes you have to take advantage of it," Ian said cautiously, obviously nervous that Mickey would get upset. He didn't, though. Ian was right.

"We'll see. I'll fill out some applications and decide later if I actually want to go," Mickey replied, kissing Ian's jaw line. "Are you sleeping in here or did you just come for a visit?"

"Well, I don't really wanna leave, but if you want me to, I will," Ian said, pushing himself up from the bed.

Mickey grabbed his arm and shook his head. "Don't you dare," he mumbled, tucking his face into Ian's neck.

Ian chuckled, wrapping his arms around the shorter boy. "I should lock the door."

"Why? The only other person here is Mandy and she already knows," Mickey said, tightening his hold on Ian.

"Have you never seen a drama show? The parents always come home early to check on the kids. Better safe than sorry," Ian replied, prying Mickey's arms away from him and stood up.

Ian took the few strides across the room to the door, locking it securely. Mickey didn't take his eyes off of Ian for even a second. He managed to look amazing wearing only a torn up t-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms with his hair sticking up in different directions. Mickey was mesmerized. He hadn't even realized Ian was walking back until Ian said something.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ian chuckled awkwardly, tilting his head to the side.

Mickey shrugged. "Just thinking about how far away my birthday is."

Ian snorted and climbed onto the bed, pushing Mickey onto his back and straddled his waist. He leaned down and dragged his lips down the shell of Mickey's ear. "It'll be here eventually. You better be prepped and waiting for me the second the clock hits midnight," he whispered, taking his earlobe between his teeth gently.

Mickey held back a moan and closed his eyes. "Chill. Can't be doing shit like that. It's getting harder and harder to say no," he mumbled, running his hands up and down Ian's sides before gently pushing him away.

Ian chuckled and nodded. "Sorry. I'll try to contain myself."

Mickey turned on his side and tangled his legs with Ian's, holding him tightly around the waist and nuzzled his face into his neck. "Night," he mumbled.

He'd slept better than he ever had that night, Ian's gentle breathing and pleasant scent making it easier than ever to feel safe. He was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The twitter drama with Elliot couldn't have come at worse time because I've had this chapter planned since the very beginning. People wanted to get a sense of Aaron and where he comes from, so here it is. It's short and it's basically has nothing to do with the plot, but I had fun writing it. Next chapter will be up soon.

Aaron led Mandy into his house. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either. It was pretty quiet in the house considering it was a family of four. It was never this quiet when she and Mickey had lived at home. Everyone was always yelling at each other and you couldn't get a second of peace.

Living with the Gallagher's was a lot different. They were all really quiet. It was too quiet which made it hard for Mandy to do anything. She needed some chaos to help her focus, as strange as it sounded. The noise calmed her. She found herself studying in the loudest places she could find. A restaurant, a bowling alley, anywhere that wasn't mute. If she couldn't make her way to one of those places, she put on headphones and turned them up as loud as she could.

As Aaron was putting his black leather jacket that always had Mandy swooning on a hook, she decided to take a look around. The whole house was very white. The furniture, the walls, the carpeting. The windows were big and the curtains were open, making the whole house so bright that she almost needed sun glasses inside. It was all white. Mandy found herself smiling as she thought about how dingy it all would be if her family lived in it. Beer stains on the carpeting from drunken assholes falling over themselves and spilling their drinks, smoke stains on the walls and burns in the couches from cigarettes. Her brothers would've torn this place to shreds.

She continued walking around, her eyes following the pictures on the mantle and all over the walls. She frowned slightly when she realized there weren't any pictures of Aaron hanging up. She assumed the girl in most of the pictures were him pre-transition, but that wasn't him.

Aaron came up behind her, making her jump a little. He smiled awkwardly and leaned against the wall. "Does seeing me like that make you wanna change your mind?"

Mandy raised an eyebrow and turned to face him. "Of course not. Just trying to understand why they still have pictures of her," Mandy shrugged.

Aaron chuckled softly and looked at the floor. "They're not exactly happy about my transition. They let me do it because they wanted me to be happy, but they don't really understand."

"Why don't they have pictures of you?" Mandy asked, taking a step closer to him.

Their conversation was interrupted when a woman, assumably Aaron's mom, spoke from the other room. "Alison, is that you?"

Aaron took his lips between his teeth and sighed softly. "Yeah, mom. We've got company," he replied, taking Mandy's hand and led her into the kitchen where his family was.

His dad was sat at the table with a laptop in front of him and his mom was preparing dinner. His brother came down the stairs, patting Aaron on the back as he past him.

"His name is Aaron, mom. We've gone over this," his brother said, shaking his head. He turned his attention to Mandy and smiled at her. "Hey, I'm Evan."

Mandy smiled softly and waved. Before she got the chance to introduce herself, Aaron was already speaking. "This is Mandy. My girlfriend," he said easily, putting his hand on Mandy's lower back.

"Girlfriend?" She raised an eyebrow. "That's how you ask a girl to be a official? Making the declaration in front of your family?" She teased, hip checking him.

Aaron chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry. I just assumed."

"It's very nice to meet you, Mandy," his mother said, smiling kindly at her. His father hadn't even acknowledged her presence, which she was grateful for. He seemed like an intense person and she wasn't in the mood to deal with that.

"We're gonna go study. Mandy's staying for dinner," Aaron said and rushed her upstairs. Mandy laughed and he kept his hands on her hips the whole way up until the reached his room.

"Your brother seems nice," she commented as she sat her bag down on his bed.

"Yeah, other than Ian, he's my best friend," he replied, shutting the door. "Speaking of Ian. How are you with him basically dating your brother?"

Mandy shrugged. It really wasn't that big of a deal to her. She knew the risks that came with it. She knew they could get shipped off because of it. She knew they could break up and then it would be really awkward to live under the same roof as them. But she also know it could end up being fine. They could live in perfect harmony for the rest of the time that they'd be there.

"I'm okay with it. I'm just glad they're not barging into my room to talk about each other anymore. They're happy. I can't complain," Mandy shrugged and sat on the bed, admiring how soft it was.

"Sure you can. You're allowed to feel negative things about it. It puts you at risk," Aaron replied standing in front of her and pushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"I don't have any complaints. If they get caught and Mickey and I get moved somewhere else, wherever they send us won't be half as bad as it was when we were with Terry. Being with Terry is the worst you can get. We got lucky with this home, sure, but it's not like I'm expecting them keep us anyway. We're already done. Mickey will be out of there in less than a year. I'll be out a year after that. Whatever we have to put up with, we won't have to put up with for long," Mandy told him, putting her fingers through his belt loops and pulled him closer.

"Terry must've been really shitty," Aaron noted, hugging her neck loosely.

"That's putting it nicely," Mandy chuckled without humor. "Some really awful things happened to us in that house. Honestly, I'm surprised Mickey and I aren't more fucked up than we already are."

"Wanna tell me what happened?"

Mandy shook her head. "Not yet. Someday, maybe. But not today."

Aaron nodded in understanding. "How're you gonna feel when Mickey goes off to college next year?"

"I can take care of myself," Mandy chuckled. "Besides, I'll have you and Ian."

"Dinner!" Evan called from downstairs and Aaron sighed softly.

"Ready to actually face the shit show that is my family?" Aaron teased and Mandy stood up, smiling softly at him.

"No one has ever brought me to meet the family before. I'm more than ready," she replied and leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on his lips before making her way downstairs.

Aaron watched her in astonishment, the realization that Ian getting foster siblings was the best thing to happen to him in a long time hit him like a ton of bricks. He smiled and followed her down, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves and hoped that his family would be on their best behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	15. Chapter 15

Mickey sat at the kitchen table, looking over the papers that were scattered in front of him. Overwhelmed was the only word he could think of to describe himself in that moment. In Terry's house, the only options he had were death and prison. Six months ago, he didn't have a chance in hell. Now, looking at all the papers in front of him, he had more options than he ever thought possible.

He wasn't even sure college is what he wanted. He wasn't necessarily a fan of school. He went for the food and did the work because he had nothing better to do. The only thing he even enjoyed doing was taking pictures of random things but it's not like he could make a career out of that. People like him didn't get paid to take stupid ass pictures that people would hang up in their houses. No one even knew about it and he wanted to keep it that way. So going to school wasn't an option. That was almost a relief. It was one less option to overwhelm him.

Mickey let out an exasperated sighed and pushed the papers away from him, pressing his forehead to the surface of the table. Trying to focus on filling out all of the applications was impossible. He felt his body relax when that familiar scent hit nose at the same time he felt a small kiss pressed to the back of his neck.

"Ask my dad for some help later. Take a break," Ian mumbled, grabbing Mickey's shoulders and rubbed deep circles into them with his thumbs.

Mickey let himself melt into it momentarily, the pleasure of it clouding his vision. He eventually shrugged Ian off and shook his head. "Someone could walk in at any minute, man."

Ian nodded in understanding before he sat down next to the shorter guy. "Do you have a top choice yet?"

Mickey snorted. "Fuck no," he said simply, sitting back in his chair and clasped his hands together in his lap.

"Well, what are you interested in studying?" Ian asked, raising his eyebrows as he pulled the applications towards him.

"Don't know," Mickey shrugged. He wasn't sure what Ian thought he could do. It was a dead end. A Milkovich in college was laughable. Mickey Milkovich in college, though, was a whole one hour long comedy special.

"You better pick a good school. I can't go to a crappy school," Ian stated as he looked over the applications with his brows furrowed.

Mickey smirked and kicked Ian's ankle. "You sayin' you're gonna follow me, Firecrotch?"

Ian looked up and blushed a little, seeming to realize what he had said. He shrugged and bit his lip, focusing back on the papers. "'Course, I am," he mumbled, avoiding Mickey's eyes.

Mickey had been worried about what was going to happen after Ian graduated. Whether it be the army or college, he knew he'd probably be separated from the red head. He'd been dreading it. He didn't want to be out of reaching distance when it came to Ian.

It blew his mind that in just half a year, he was making plans to stay near someone other than Mandy. Mandy used to be the only person that mattered. She was the only person he had in mind when he was making decisions. Ian came in the picture, though, and while Mandy was still the most important, Ian was slowly becoming a close second. The younger boy had been an anchor for him for months but it had felt like so much longer. He was important.

"Then I guess we should pick somewhere that's really good but will still accept your dumb ass," Mickey teased, raising an eyebrow.

Ian snorted and crumbled up one of the applications, throwing it and hitting Mickey in the middle of the forehead. "Asshole," Ian said fondly, a smile playing at his lips. Mickey was infatuated with the boy in front of him.

Mickey gnawed at his lip, not breaking eye contact with Ian. The smile on Ian's face had Mickey wanting to do nothing but touch him. He shook his head a bit before leaning forward, grabbing the front of Ian's shirt to pull him towards him. He slotted their lips together gently, savoring every second. He nipped at Ian's bottom lip a little, pulling away just as someone walked through the front door.

Mickey held himself back from laughing at the dazed look on Ian's face, the red head slumping back into his seat. Ian took a deep breath and shook his head before looking through to the living room.

"Hey, dad," he said calmly, more calm than Mickey thought he was able to.

"Hey, kids. What're you up to?" Clayton asked as he entered the kitchen, his eyes falling on the papers.

Ian's face lit up and he handed some of the applications to his dad. "Mickey's filling out college applications," Ian replied with so much pride in his voice, it made Mickey's face burn. "Maybe you can help him out?"

"I'd love to," Clayton said, turning his attention to Mickey as he sat down. "You don't really need to apply to this many. I'm assuming I'm going to have to replace the ink in the printer. We need to narrow it down. First, second, and third choices."

Mickey shrugged, looking at the table top. He realized that it was a lot harder to tell Clayton he had no clue what he wanted to do with his life than it was to tell Ian. Ian was understanding about everything to the point it made Mickey sick. Mickey could probably end up living under a bridge and Ian's eyes would still hold so much pride whenever he looked at him. But, despite living with him for six months, Mickey really didn't know much about Clayton. He knew his foster father was a workaholic, he casually drank scotch, he watched a lot of game shows, he drank his coffee black. He knew small things that you pick up on when they're done over and over again. He didn't know how Clayton felt about uncertainty, though, and for some strange reason, he didn't want to disappoint.

"Uh, I've always wanted to go to New York, I guess," Mickey replied, throwing out the first place he could think of. It wasn't even true. He'd never thought about going to New York a day in his life.

Mickey watched as Ian stood up to leave the room. He didn't necessarily want to be left alone with Clayton in this situation, but he figured it would raise some eyebrows if he begged Ian to stay and be his anchor like he had been for months now, so he let him go and hoped that this process would be painless.

"Okay. You have a lot of options in New York. What about NYU? It's more of an art school. I don't really know your interests," Clayton said, pulling out a pair of glasses and slid them on as he looked through the applications.

"Pictures," Mickey blurted out, instantly wanting to kick himself. His sudden need to not show any signs of uncertainty was going to bite him in the ass.

Clayton lifted an eyebrow and looked at Mickey. "Really? Do you have a camera?"

"Where would I have gotten a camera? Pretty sure the only thing I've ever been able to afford is drugs," Mickey answered, realizing he said the wrong thing again and groaned quietly. "I'm talking out of my ass today. I need to lay down."

"Let me see the pictures," Clayton requested, holding his hand out, palm up.

Mickey raised his eyebrows pointedly, feeling even more uncomfortable with the situation. Not even Mandy knew he took pictures. He'd never even think about letting her see them. But here Clayton was, looking at him expectantly with nothing but determination in his eyes. Mickey bit down on his lip and sighed softly before reaching into his pocket. He pulled his phone out and opened the album that had all the pictures of random things he had taken since he got the phone. He handed it over to Clayton and started chewing on the skin around his thumb.

Clayton scrolled through them, making it a point to keep a straight face. He didn't so much as blink. No reactions. That only made Mickey more nervous. He had accidentally chosen this as his life path in an attempt to not disappoint someone he couldn't give two fucks about and now there was no going back. He'd almost hoped Clayton would think his pictures were terrible so he could just start over.

"Mickey, you're really good," Clayton stated, setting the phone down. "For someone who just does it for fun on their cell phone, you're good. You have some potential. I suggest looking into schools that have a photography program. Make sure you have something to fall back on. I can help you write some college essays to send in with your applications."

Mickey almost felt a sense of pride wash over him. Clayton was no critic and his knowledge of photography might make his opinion invalid, but it felt good. It felt good to show someone something he did and have them like it. Sure, he would've gotten a more enthusiastic response from Ian, but it could easily just be to make him feel good. Clayton had no reason to lie to him. Clayton had no ulterior motives. Clayton actually liked the shitty pictures of nothing Mickey had taken and he felt damn good about it.

"Alright," Mickey nodded. "I think I'm gonna go take a nap. College is already exhausting me and I haven't even finished high school yet."

Clayton chuckled and nodded. "Alright. We'll talk more later," he said and squeezed Mickey's shoulder.

Mickey stood up and went for the stairs, turning back around at the half way point. "Uh, thanks. For helping me," Mickey told his foster dad, rubbing the tip of his nose with his knuckle.

Clayton smiled softly. "Thanks for letting me."

Mickey nodded and walked the rest of the way to his room, shutting the door behind him and leaned against it. This wasn't him. He was losing who he was. He wasn't craving a fight, he had no interest in doing anything illegal. He was filling out college applications and kissing boys. In just six months, Mickey had felt like he had completely transformed. The transformation wasn't what was bothering him, though. What was bothering him was that he didn't mind the transformation. He almost liked it, if he were being honest.

None of this had been a reality to him at Terry's. He had been destined to be fucked for life. He had no money, he had no stability, he had no options. He had nothing. Then he came to the north side and he had his little sister, he was thriving, he kind of had a boyfriend, he had a friend that was transgender, he had a future. Terry would shit himself if he could see his son right now. His son was happy.

Mickey let himself smile for half a second before he made his way over to his bed, determined to take that nap. He relished in the feeling of knowing he wouldn't have to sleep with one eye open. It was everything he'd ever wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	16. Chapter 16

Ian stood on the sidewalk in front the house that he would've grown up in and couldn't help but to think about the last time he was standing in this exact spot when he was fourteen. He had the same feeling of unworthiness that he had felt almost three years ago. He already knew he was accepted by Lip and Fiona, that wasn't the issue. While he had been around when Debbie was born, she has no clue who he is. He'd seen a bunch of pictures of Carl and Liam and Fiona had told him all about the three younger Gallagher's, but they're kids. They may be his siblings, but they were all complete strangers.

From what he was told, Debbie was ambitious and smart. Not as smart as the eldest Gallagher brother, though. Lip had made it a point to make that clear. She was smart, though. She knew how to handle money and she knew how to scam people like the best of them. He felt strangely proud of his little sister for that and he had no clue why. He should be disappointed that she was taking advantage of people, but knowing that scamming people on the south side was something they had to do, he couldn't reprimand her for it. He was happy she could help their other siblings succeed.

Carl was a different story, however. According to his older siblings, he was destructive and he was always beating people up. Fiona and Lip had talked about him with so much pride, though, which confused Ian, but who was he to judge? They'd grown up so much differently than he had. He wasn't around to see what made Carl thrive for juvie.

He was told that Liam is the sweetest of them all, which wasn't surprising. He wasn't old enough to really develop a vengeful personality. He didn't talk much, he was especially shy around strangers. He apparently smiled a lot, though, which warmed Ian's heart. He was taken aback when he'd seen a picture of the little guy and found out that he was both Frank's and Monica's, but he didn't ask any further questions. He figured they got asked about it a lot. Besides, he didn't care. He just knew that this little boy was his brother and he wanted nothing more than to have a relationship with all five of his siblings.

Ian took a deep breath and decided that standing in the light rain was worse than facing his fears and knocking on the door. However his younger siblings would react to him, he'd rather deal with it with a roof over his head. He made his way up the steps and knocked before he lost the nerve to do so.

When the door swung open, Fiona looked a bit confused before the realization hit her. "Shit, Ian. I totally forgot you were supposed to come over today," she said sheepishly.

"Oh," Ian said shortly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Is it a bad time? Do you want to reschedule?"

"No, no. It's fine. It's just been crazy around here lately. Literally. Come in," she said, opening the door wider to make room for him to pass.

He gave her a tight smile as he passed her and went inside. He looked around and his breath was nearly knocked right out of him. The furniture was exactly how it had been when he was little. Pictures has been added to the walls. He was more than shocked to see that pictures of him were still scattered around. He turned in a circle, taking it all in. As much as he loved his life, he couldn't help but feel more at home here than he ever did in his own house.

"Holy shit," he breathed, running a hand down his face.

"You okay?" Fiona asked, concern taking over her face.

Ian nodded shortly. "Yeah. Just... a lot of memories," he shrugged, smiling softly.

She nodded and rubbed a hand down his back as she kissed his temple. "Yeah. Some great memories," she mumbled.

He couldn't help but to lean into the touch. She was even more motherly than his own mom which Ian didn't think was possible.

"Oh, shit," Ian heard from the stairs and turned around, seeing Lip. He'd obviously forgotten that Ian was was supposed to show up today, too.

"Are you guys sure it's okay that I'm here? You seem really distracted," Ian noted, feeling a bit disappointed that no one had remembered he was showing up.

"It's fine that you're here. We want you here," Fiona assured, giving Lip a dirty look.

"Yeah, you guys seem to be really excited to have me here," Ian chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It has nothing to do with you, man. There's just a lot going on around here lately. I'll go get the kids. Fi, grab him a beer," Lip replied, making his way back upstairs.

Fiona led him to the kitchen and had him sit down as she went to the fridge. "Your parents won't kill me for letting you have alcohol, will they?"

"Nah, they'll give me the 'I'm not mad, I'm disappointed' speech and then send me on my way. No big deal," Ian shrugged.

He looked around the kitchen and was flooded with memories of Fiona rushing to make breakfast for Ian and Lip every morning. Fiona yelling at them to hurry up and get ready for the day. Ian and Lip coloring together at this table while Fiona did her homework. He smiled a little and ran his thumb over the smiley face he had drawn on the table with a permanent marker.

He was brought back to reality as a beer was sat in front of him and footsteps were making their way down the flight of stairs that led to the kitchen. Liam was propped up on Lip's hip with his head resting on the older Gallagher's shoulder. Carl was looking at him with curiosity, his head tilted to the side. He seemed to have a bunch of questions running through his head. Debbie jumped right in, though, taking the necessary steps until she was standing right in front of him.

"I'm Debbie. You're Ian. I was told that you were around long enough to witness my birth but left soon after. I was hoping for another sister, but you'll do," she said, holding her hand out to shake his.

Ian laughed lightly and shook her hand. "Sorry to disappoint. It's nice to meet you," he said, amazed that the little baby he had held all those years ago had turned into... this.

She nodded and sat down, interlocking her fingers in her lap. Carl was next to step up, looking Ian over.

"You ever stab anyone?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. The question itself didn't really surprise him. He was surprised that Carl seemed to be genuinely curious about whether or not the red head had ever impaled someone with a sharp object.

"Uh, I can't say I have. Sorry?" He guessed, furrowing his eyebrows.

Carl pursed his lips in disappointment but shrugged and walked away. Ian mouthed 'what the fuck?' to his older brother, earning him a shrug in response.

"And this," Lip started, taking step forward and turned Liam so he was facing Ian. "Is Liam. You probably won't get much out of him until he's comfortable, but don't take it personally."

Ian smiled at the baby, running a finger over his cheek gently. "Nice to meet you, Liam," Ian said, Liam staring at him blankly before reaching out towards the red head. Ian raised his eyebrows, as did everyone else in the room. Ian sat his beer down and grabbed the toddler, sitting him in his lap. He laughed softly as Liam traced the red heads nose like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

The day went smoothly. Debbie told him everything that was going on in her life, the shitty girls at her school, the debate team, the guys that were just too immature for her. He held onto every word she said, excited to finally get to know his little sister.

Carl would jump into the conversation, asking questions that most kids don't asked. He didn't ask about his accomplishments or his home life. He didn't ask about school or his friends. He asked about his juvenile record, which he didn't have, he asked about the drugs he's tried, ask for his most embarrassing drunk story. It was strange, Ian actually found himself answering the questions easily and honestly, only a little surprised by the look of disappointment on Carl's face when he found out that Ian really hadn't done all that much. While all of this was going on, Liam stayed in Ian's lap, playing with the strings on his jacket.

"Are you gay? You give off a gay vibe," Carl stated, narrowing his eyes. It earned him a slap on the back of the head by Fiona and groaned. "What? I'm just asking. You said we're supposed to get to know him. That's what I'm doing."

"You're being rude," Fiona replied sternly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Carl rolled his eyes and looked at Ian again, raising his eyebrows. He obviously wasn't going to let it go easily so Ian sighed softly and shrugged.

"Yeah," he answered, keeping his eyes focused on the toddler in his lap so he wouldn't have to see the potentially disgusted looks on his younger siblings faces. As far as he knew, Lip was the only one who knew and he found out by accident.

"How does that work? Does your dick go into the other guys dick?" Carl asked, making Ian's eyes widen.

Lip burst into laughter, covering his mouth with his hand in an attempt to pull himself together and Carl got another slap on the back of the head from Fiona.

"Uh, not exactly," Ian answered with a chuckle.

"You're so stupid sometimes, Carl," Debbie spoke up, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Ian was about to suggest a change in subject when the back door swung open and a homeless looking man came into the house, arguing with the blonde lady that was following behind him. He didn't have time to figure out what the argument was about because the man stopped in the middle of his sentence as his eyes fell on Ian.

"Who the fuck is this?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Why are you guys here? Leave. We already told you you're not welcome here," Lip said, standing up and began pushing them back towards the door.

"This is my house, get out of my way," the man replied, pushing past Lip and went for the fridge. "Is someone going to answer my question? Who is this?"

The realization hit Ian like a ton of bricks. This was Frank. The man who was almost his father. "Ian. I'm your nephew. Don't worry, I won't be offended if you don't remember me. You were fucked up when I was around," Ian answered him, bouncing Liam on his lap gently.

Frank raised his eyebrows, dragging his eyes over the red heads face. "Ah. My bride's love child," he chuckled bitterly, grabbing a beer.

Ian sighed softly and looked over at the woman. Her eyes were watering and she was staring at him like she'd seen a ghost. That was all he needed to know that this was the woman who birthed him. His stomach dropped a bit as he stood up and handed Liam off to to Fiona.

"I think I should leave," Ian said, taking one more sip of his beer before wrapping Fiona in a hug.

"No, Ian, baby, don't go. Please. I wanna talk to you," Monica finally spoke, taking a step towards him.

Ian held his hand up to stop her, shaking his head. "Don't. You're not my mom. I have a mom."

"I'm your mother. Please, just talk to me," she pleaded, her eyes growing softer by the second.

"I have nothing to say to you," he mumbled and hugged the rest of his siblings. "I'll call you later this week, Fi," he told his older sister, getting a nod in response as he walked out the back door, ignoring his biological mother's voice calling after him.

He had a hard time breathing as he made his way towards the L, not knowing if he needed his mom or Mickey more. The trip home was a lot longer than he ever remembered it being. He felt like everyone around him knew. Knew he'd just seen his birth mom, knew he was struggling to hold back tears, knew he was dying to scream in that moment.

He never thought he'd see Monica again. He didn't have any real memories of her. All he knew was that she came and went when she pleased. He remembered being there when Debbie was born, but Debbie was the main focus of that memory. He did everything he could to forget Monica, even before he was taken away from the family. He remembered Fiona crying at night because she so stressed from picking up Monica's slack. He remembered being scared every time she came around. Those were the only things he could associate with his birth mother and thinking about them only made him hate her more.

He got off the train the second he could and walked as quickly as he could towards his house but with every step, his house seemed to get further and further away. He felt relief wash over him when he finally made it through the front door and found his mom sitting on the couch with a book in her hand. He rounded the room and leaned down, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

She made a noise of surprise before she hugged him back just as tightly. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly, rubbing his back.

Ian nodded. "Yeah. I just. I know I give you shit all the time and I'm a handful but I love you. You didn't have to accept me into your life but you did and I love you so much. Thank you for choosing to be my mom," he mumbled into her neck, squeezing his eyes shut to keep tears from spilling all over her shoulder.

He knew that his father cheating was always a sore spot and the fact that he wasn't biologically hers was something they never brought up, but he felt he needed to tell her that he truly appreciated everything she did for him.

His mom hugged him ever tighter, standing up so they could hug more comfortably. "It wasn't even a question. I'd always choose you," she promised, no longer mentally questioning what brought on the random confession, just happy to have such an amazing boy in her life.

They stood there for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, hugging each other and being grateful for the person wrapped around them. Ian hadn't realized that seeing his birth mom would be so stressful for him. He hadn't thought about it. He didn't think he'd ever see her again and he was perfectly happy with that. He didn't need or want her in his life. All he needed was his mom. His real mom. Lucy. He kissed the side of her head smiled softly as he pulled away.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," he told her, needing some release from the stress of the day.

"Alright. I'll make dinner soon," she replied, patting his cheek softly.

He nodded in acknowledgment before making his way upstairs and went straight to the bathroom, peeling his clothes off as soon as the door shut. He put the water on the perfect temperature for him and stepped inside, letting the hot water melt away the discomfort he'd felt since the second he realized exactly who Monica was. He let his mind travel to Mickey for, surprisingly, only the second time that day.

He'd spent almost every second of everyday thinking of Mickey for months, but everything that had happened during the day made it nearly impossible for him to focus on the older guy that slept down the hall. He nearly kicked himself for not focusing on him more throughout the day. He knew the thought of Mickey would've calmed him down at least a little bit. He always did.

Now that he was thinking about him, all he wanted was to be in Mickey's presence. He wanted to touch him, kiss him, listen to him talk, smell him. He wanted to crawl into his comfort zone and let Mickey make him feel at ease. He grabbed the body wash that he knew Mickey always used, wanting the smell of his foster brother to follow him around for the rest of the day.

He washed up and turned the water off, grabbing a towel. He wrapped it around his waist as he stepped out and put his dirty clothes in the hamper. He made his way to his room and shut the door, going straight to his drawers, pulling out a pair of boxers, sweatpants, and a grey t-shirt, throwing them on quickly.

All he could focus on was wrapping himself around the guy who always made things feel less complicated, even if their relationship itself was complicated. He walked down the hall and knocked softly on the door, waiting for Mickey to invite him in. When he finally did, Ian slipped inside, shutting door behind him. The second he saw the other guy, all his worries slipped away and he couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face.

He double checked that the door was properly locked and crawled onto the bed, laying directly on top of Mickey and stuffed his face in his neck.

"Everything okay?" Mickey asked, rubbing the younger guys back gently.

Ian nodded, kissing Mickey's neck softly. "Yeah. Long day," he mumbled, taking in Mickey's scent. If that was the only thing he could ever smell again, you'd never hear Ian complain about it.

"Wanna talk about it?" Mickey asked, wrapping his arms tightly around Ian.

Ian shook his head. "No. Just wanna lay here with you until dinner. And then after dinner, I wanna come right back here and not move for five years, at least."

Mickey chuckled and kissed the top of Ian's head. "I'll see what I can do," he answered, playing with Ian's hair. The action made him feel so relaxed that he could easily fall asleep.

They stayed quiet, enjoying the others presence. They didn't want anything to interrupt them. They didn't want anyone popping their bubble of serenity. They were more content in that moment than either of them could ever remember being. It was a perfect ending to a shitty day and it was that moment that Ian realized how incredibly and genuinely in love with Mickey he was... and it scared the shit out of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: Miilkobitch


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A segue into the next chapter. Some cumplay is featured. Another long chapter. I already have the next chapter written, so it'll be up really soon. We're getting closer and closer to the end. I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as I am. <3

It was the end of the school year and Ian felt like he was on top of the world. His friendship with Mandy was growing stronger everyday. He was almost as close to her as he was to Aaron. It only got a little overwhelming when Mandy and Aaron were fighting, which happened often, and they were both wanting him to be on their sides. Ian did a pretty good job of staying neutral, though.

Ian was also growing closer to his siblings. He took Liam to the park, helped Debbie with her boy problems and her homework, he got Carl into boxing lessons so he could channel all of his energy into something less... sociopathic. It seemed to be working for him so far. He was much closer to Lip and Fiona, though. They talked everyday, they spent time together at least twice a week. He had so much more family than he ever thought he'd have and it was doing nothing but lifting his spirits.

He'd even grown closer to his parents. He told them things. He told them that there was a guy in his life. He obviously left out the part where he was basically in a relationship with his foster brother, but they knew everything else. They asked about this mystery guy often, wanting to meet him, pushing Ian to invite him for dinner. It took a lot inside of him to not laugh, knowing that they'd had this guy over for dinner more times than they could ever know.

Ian and Mickey spent a lot of time in each other's rooms. They'd sleep together almost every night, setting an alarm so they could avoid being caught by Clayton and Lucy. Waking up earlier than everyone else after staying up much later than everyone else was exhausting, but it was worth it, being able to talk to Mickey and know more and more about him, occasionally letting the conversation stop so they could be typical teenagers from a 1995 romantic comedy, dry humping and making out, leaving hickeys in places that only they would see.

Ian was happy. Undeniably happy and so sure of his current situation. He couldn't imagine things getting any better than they were right now. Looking in the mirror, he could see that how he felt inside was shining through. He looked well rested, and he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.

Mickey had told him earlier that day that he had gotten his acceptance letter from NYU. Mickey would barely admit that NYU had become his first choice school, but Ian knew. He'd known for a while, but when Mickey had handed him the envelope and tried to hard to seem nonchalant about the whole situation, he knew for sure. Ian had to pat himself on the back when Mickey had told him that he was the only person he was telling for a while.

Knowing how Mickey felt about NYU, Ian wanted to celebrate. He was so immensely proud of the older guy and he knew attention is something that Mickey hated, but he truly couldn't help himself. He needed to show Mickey how proud he was of how far the dark haired guy had come.

"Dad, can I borrow the car tonight?" Ian asked as he made his way towards the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.

"What for?" His dad asked, not looking away from the screen of his laptop that was placed in front of him on the kitchen table.

"All three of us are heading to Aaron's to study for finals," he lied easily, leaning on the wall as he waited for his dad's answer.

"Okay. Don't stay out too late," Clayton replied, pulling his car keys out of his pocket and tossed them to his son.

Ian nodded his agreement and made his way upstairs, knocking on Mandy's door briefly before going inside, not bothering to wait for her to answer.

"What, asshole? I know this is more your house than mine, but I'd appreciate some privacy," Mandy said, looking Ian in the eye from where she was laying on her bed with a text book resting on her legs.

"Okay, first of all, this is just as much your house as it is mine. Second, I need you to hang out with Aaron tonight and be my alibi," he said once the door was shut.

"Okay. Where are you going?" She asked, closing her book.

"Taking Mickey on a date," he shrugged, avoiding her eyes.

She chuckled and shook her head. "Does he know about this date? I'm having a hard time seeing my brother agree to a date."

Ian pursed his lips, adjusting the beanie that was resting on his head. "Not yet. But I'm good at getting what I want. Get ready. We're leaving soon," he said, holding back a smile as he left the room.

Next up was Mickey. He knew it would take some convincing with him. He wasn't out of the closet, the two of them being in public in any kind of romantic way would've been off the table even if he was out, and he'd probably instantly catch on that this was Ian's way of celebrating Mickey's acceptance into NYU, but Ian had to do this. He wanted to feel like a normal couple for once. If a couple was even what they were.

Ian took a deep breath and prepared himself to give the best puppy dog eyes he could muster before pushing into Mickey's room with a sweet smile on his face. He shut the door behind him, making his way over to where Mickey was laying on his bed with his nose buried in a book. He straddled the other guys waist, causing Mickey to raise an eyebrow. He didn't take his eyes off the book until he finished the page, but eventually put the book down and looked up at Ian expectantly.

"Can I help you with something?" Mickey asked, resting his hands on Ian's hips.

"I hope so," Ian said, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to Mickey's lips. The kiss made Mickey lightheaded, making him decide that whatever it was that Ian wanted, he could have it. Until Ian spoke again, that is. "Wanna go on a date tonight," Ian mumbled, pulling away from the kiss just long enough to speak before their lips were molded together again.

"Nope," Mickey mumbled before slipping his tongue into Ian's mouth, resting his hand on the back of Ian's head to keep him in place and prevent him from speaking.

Ian let him get away with it for a few moments, loving the feel of their bodies pressed so tightly together. "Please, baby?" He mumbled, pushing his hands up the front side of Mickey's shirt and nipped at his bottom lip.

"Don't call me that," Mickey shook his head, scrunching up his face in disgust. Mickey was a good actor, Ian could give him that, but the feel of Mickey's cock hardening a little gave him away and Ian smirked, looking down at where their crotches were pressed together. "Shut up," Mickey grumbled, picking his book back up in an attempt to ignore the red head.

Ian chuckled softly, moving his head under Mickey's arm so he could plant soft kisses in the places on his neck that he knew drove the older guy crazy. "If you do this for me, I'll do absolutely anything you want me to," Ian bargained, pressing his crotch down on Mickey's, earning himself an almost inaudible groan.

Mickey sighed heavily but otherwise ignored the red head, keeping his eyes on the book in front of him. Mickey was stubborn. He had shown that time and time again. It wasn't a surprise to Ian that Mickey wasn't making this easy on him, but Mickey didn't realize that Ian could be just as, if not more, stubborn than him. Ian was going to pull that stubborn side of him out in full force, determined to get exactly what he wanted.

"I really want this," he mumbled, taking the book from Mickey's hands and tossed it across the room. He ignored the panicked 'hey!' That Mickey let out and pushed the shorter guys' shirt up to his chest. He smirked softly to himself and dragged his teeth softly over one of Mickey's nipples, making him shudder slightly. "All you have to do to get me to stop is agree to go with me tonight."

"What if I don't want you stop?" Mickey asked, his voice wavering a bit.

"You do," Ian said matter-of-factly, tracing the dips of Mickey's stomach with his lips, causing goosebumps to rise all over his boyfriends body. "You're not looking forward to the blue balls, but you know that if I don't stop soon, you're going to be too far gone to think rationally, and you know that here, in your room with an unlocked door, is not the place to cross the line that we've been trying so hard not to cross."

"Fuck," Mickey sighed, letting his head fall back against the pillows when Ian's lips met the waistline of his jeans. "Alright, fine. We'll go on a fucking date. Get off of me."

Ian smiled victoriously and leaned up, leaving a chaste kiss on Mickey's lips before standing up and going straight to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of sweats and a fresh shirt, throwing them in Mickey's direction. They landed right on his face, making him groan dramatically.

"Hurry up. We're gonna be late," Ian chuckled and made his way to his room so he could slip on his own pair of sweats and grabbed a fresh comforter from his closet.

He snuck past his parents, rushing outside to the car and threw the blanket in the trunk. He heard the front door open and shut behind him, smiling at Mandy when she made her way over to him.

"You fucking talked him into it," she chuckled in disbelief, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Told you I'm good at getting what I want," Ian smiled brightly, shutting the trunk of his dad's SUV. "Did you tell Aaron you were coming over?"

Mandy nodded her confirmation. "Told him everything. We'll cover for you guys."

He grabbed her face and kissed her sloppily on the cheek. "Thank you," he sang as he let her go and she wiped her face off, scrunching up her nose.

"Whatever. Just never do that again," she replied, getting in the backseat of the SUV.

Ian chuckled to himself and checked his pockets for his wallet and keys as Mickey made his way outside.

"Let's get this shit over with," Mickey grumbled, ignoring Ian as he went to the passenger side of the car.

Ian didn't even attempt to hold back his grin as he climbed in the drivers seat, putting his seatbelt on.

"Why are you guys in sweats? That's not really something you wear on a date," Mandy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dickhead threw them at me. Figured it was easier to wear them than argue with him," Mickey shrugged, still not glancing in Ian's direction.

"Were not going on a fancy date," Ian explained as he pulled out of the driveway and made his way towards Aaron's. He reached over and grabbed Mickey's hand, locking their fingers together.

Mickey instantly snatched his hand away from the hold, scowling out the window. Ian chuckled, knowing exactly what was wrong with him and he had every intention of taking care of it. He pulled up to Aaron's house and parked, smiling at Mandy through the rear view mirror.

"Thanks again. I really appreciate this," Ian said sincerely as she climbed out.

"You're thanking me for hanging out with my boyfriend," she chuckled. "Have a good time. I'll call you if you need to get your asses over here," she said, shutting the door.

Ian waited until she was inside before driving towards their destination. He couldn't help smiling as he saw Mickey pouting as he watched their surroundings pass.

"Baby," Ian purred, placing his hand on Mickey's thigh.

"Stop calling me that," Mickey mumbled, scooting as far away from Ian as he could.

"It's going to be really hard to enjoy the date if you're grumpy the whole time," Ian pointed out, biting his lip to stop himself from laughing.

"Yeah, well, if you had given me time to get off in the shower, that wouldn't be fuckin' problem," Mickey replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Ian held his hand out, hoping Mickey would take it. He really just wanted the physical contact, needing to feel like Mickey wasn't genuinely mad at him.

Mickey sighed heavily, running a hand over his face as he slipped his other hand into Ian's. Relief ran through Ian's body as he pulled Mickey's hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the back of it.

"I'm sending you a multitude of dick pics tonight and if you jerk off, I'm telling your parents everything and getting moved to a new foster home," Mickey stated, keeping his eyes on the street lights as they passed them.

Ian chuckled and shook his head, pulling into a gas station. He pulled up to one of the pumps and turned the car off, reaching into his pocket to grab his wallet and gave it to Mickey. "Get a bunch of snacks and some gas."

Mickey nodded and pulled his hand away from Ian's, starting to get out of the car before Ian stopped him. He looked at the red head questioningly, raising an eyebrow. Ian leaned forward, silently asking for a kiss. He got an eye roll from Mickey, but the shorter guy obliged, leaning forward and pressed their lips together quickly before going inside the convenience store.

*  
*

Ian couldn't keep the grin off of his face when Mickey realized exactly what they were doing. He pulled into a parking spot as Mickey took in the scene around him. Mickey looked at Ian with an unamused facial expression, shaking his head.

"We going back in time to the 50's, Gallagher?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up, okay? If it's really that bad, you can text Mandy throughout the whole thing and tell her how horrible it's going and make me feel neglected all night," Ian replied, turning the car off and got out. He went around to the back of the SUV. He opened the trunk and spread the blanket out as Mickey brought the snacks and set them off to the side.

Ian suddenly felt really nervous, every once of confidence he once had drained from his body. He avoided Mickey's eyes, climbing into the trunk and sat with his back against the seats. They had a full view of the screen, not too far back but not too close either. He thought that Mickey would've liked going to the drive in rather than an actual movie theater, but he was slowly starting to think he was wrong.

Mickey must've sensed the shift in Ian's mood because when he climbed in, he grabbed Ian's hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "I was just kidding. This is great. No one will notice us here and no one will eye fuck you but me," Mickey grinned, running his eyes up and down Ian's body.

Ian huffed a laugh and nodded, turning his head to press a soft kiss to Mickey's lips. It didn't last long, though. He didn't want Mickey getting more frustrated than he already was. Even though he planned on doing something about it, he didn't want to get Mickey upset again before he had the chance to. If he didn't do it at the right time, Mickey would reject him and be annoyed for the rest of the night.

Ian reached for the bag of their snacks and pulled out a snickers bar, only to have it snatched away from him. He raised his eyebrows and turned his head slowly to look at Mickey, amused.

"It's fuckin mine," Mickey grumbled, opening the wrapper with his teeth.

"There's like four of them in here, Mick," Ian chuckled, looking back into the bag.

"Yeah, and they're all mine," Mickey shrugged, taking a bite of the candy as the movie started.

Ian shook his head, completely in awe of the guy sitting next to him. He never would've guessed that the day he agreed to invite some unfortunate kids into his home that he'd end up with such a perfectly imperfect boy practically sitting on his lap while munching on a snickers bar like his life depended on it, but he couldn't be happier with the outcome. He dropped the bag and wrapped an arm around Mickey's shoulders, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his neck.

Mickey squirmed a little, pushing Ian's head away. Ian was persistent, though. As Mickey finished the last bite of his candy, Ian put his hand on Mickey's cheek, turning his head so he plant short kisses on his lips.

"We're gonna miss the movie, man," Mickey mumbled, swallowing the last bit of chocolate in his mouth.

"Mhm," Ian hummed, licking into the other guy's mouth. Mickey surrendered eventually, letting Ian set the mood. The left over chocolate on Mickey's tongue made its way into Ian's mouth and he was sure that this was the best kiss they'd ever shared.

Ian placed his hand on the inside of Mickey's knee, not wanting him to catch on to what he was going to do until he was too in the moment to care enough to stop him. It was a little manipulative, sure, but Ian actually felt pretty bad for getting him so worked up earlier that night. He felt bad for all the times that he'd gotten him worked up but couldn't do anything about it. He'd be perfectly fine if Mickey rejected his advances, he just hoped that the other guy wouldn't be mad at him for trying.

Ian pulled away from the kiss, nipping at Mickey's bottom lip as he slowly started inching his hand towards Mickey's crotch.

Realizing he needed something to distract Mickey from his hand, Ian blurted out the only thing he could think of that would really occupy Mickey's mind. "Am I your boyfriend?" Ian asked, leaving a trail of kisses from the older guys mouth down to his neck.

"Uh... what?" Mickey asked, too distracted by Ian to form a coherent thought.

"Do you consider me your boyfriend?" Ian asked again, lifting his head so he was staring into Mickey's eyes. He kept his hand moving slowly, chewing on his bottom lip.

"I guess so," Mickey shrugged, a bit out of breath. "Why are you asking that right now?"

Ian shrugged, fighting the urge to smile at his boyfriend. That surely wasn't the answer he was expecting, but he was over the moon about it.

"Is it because you're trying to distract me from your hand that's centimeters away from grabbing my cock?" Mickey asked, raising his eyebrows pointedly. Ian blushed softly, making Mickey chuckled and shake his head. "You're not subtle, Gallagher."

"Just wanted to make you feel good," Ian replied, stopping his hand from moving any further as it reached the top of Mickey's thigh. "You've been teased for months, you got into the school you wanted, you've had a tough year. Just wanted to give you a chance to let go for once. Not have to try so hard."

Mickey let out a soft sigh, moving away from Ian. He felt a tinge of disappointment in his chest until he realized that Mickey was shutting the trunk of the SUV. Ian smirked a bit, grabbing Mickey by the front of his shirt and pulling him towards him until he fell onto Ian's lap, making them both laugh.

"Not too far, man. Gotta save my pride," Mickey mumbled, straddling Ian's thighs.

Ian smirked a little, reached around the grab a handful of Mickey's ass, squeezing it tightly. "No promises," he replied, molding their lips together before Mickey had the chance to answer.

Kissing Mickey had been Ian's favorite activity since that Halloween party. Nothing could compare to the rush that came with tasting the older guy on his tongue and hearing the involuntary sounds he'd make when Ian grabbed him in just the right spot. One of those vision clouding sounds fell from Mickey's lips as Ian's hand mindlessly traveled up his thigh, eventually wrapping it around his semi hard cock through his sweatpants. Mickey rolled his hips into it, needing more friction.

Mickey hadn't realized how bad he needed this until he cleared his head and decided to let it happen. He knew it was a bad idea, he knew the risks, but he was too swept up in the moment to care. He'd needed this for months now and he knew that it could never happen again, but he just wanted to enjoy the feel of Ian's hands all over him for the time being.

Ian slipped his hand into Mickey's boxers, cupping his balls and rolled them around in his hands gently. That earned him a low groan from Mickey, making Ian smirk against his lips. Ian pulled away from the kiss, looking down as he pulled the tip of Mickey's cock out of his sweatpants, instantly making his mouth water. He used his thumb to wipe away the precum that was gathering on the head and brought it to his tongue, staring Mickey in the eye as he licked it off.

Mickey let out a blissed out sigh as Ian brought his hand back to his dick and squeezed it gently before pumping it slowly.

"Feel good?" Ian asked quietly, attaching his lips to the spot on Mickey's neck that he knew drove him crazy.

"So good," Mickey breathed, moving his hips so his cock was moving in and out of Ian's hand faster. He steadied himself by putting his hand on Ian's shoulder, his knees going weak when Ian slipped his free hand into the back of Mickey's boxers and slid his finger in between his crack. "Fuck," he mumbled, resting his head on Ian's shoulder as his finger massaged the ring of muscles.

Ian squeezed the tip of his cock gently, licking his lips as he watched more precum leak out. "You're so fucking sexy," Ian whispered, nipping softly at Mickey's jaw and running his tongue over the irritated skin.

"Think so?" Mickey asked, burying his face into Ian's neck in an obvious attempt to hide the blush that was creeping up his neck.

"Absolutely. Sexiest mother fucker I've ever seen," Ian told him truthfully, picking up the pace with his hand and pressed just the tip of his finger into Mickey's hole.

Mickey groaned, loving the burn that came with the intrusion of Ian's finger. Every time he moved his body, he was practically fucking Ian's hand and riding his finger. He knew he wouldn't be able to last much longer, not being able to control the sensitivity after so long without being touched by another person, but he didn't want this to end. He wanted this feeling to last as long as possible. Not just the physical feeling, but the emotional feelings as well. He wanted Ian in every way.

"Not gonna last," Mickey mumbled, defeated by the fact.

"Cum for me, baby," Ian mumbled, twisting his hand expertly every time he moved it up Mickey's cock.

Mickey groaned, the pet name pushing him right over the edge. His body quivered slightly as cum started to spill over Ian's hand, his hole clenching around the red head's finger tightly.

He let out a shuddering sigh as he finished, watching Ian lick his fingers clean. Mickey chuckled and shook his head. "Fuckin' nasty," he said as he put his cock back in his boxers.

"Bon appétit," Ian chuckled, earning himself a slap on the side of his head before Mickey got up and opened the door of the trunk so they could get back to the movie.

Ian smiled brightly, wiping the rest of the cum off of his hand on the blanket and welcomed Mickey with open arms when he made his way back over.

"Can't happen again. You know that, right?" Mickey asked, looking up at his boyfriend with a raised eyebrow.

"I know," Ian nodded, kissing Mickey's temple and turned back to the movie. It was a night he'd never forget. It was his favorite night with his favorite person.

He was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/twitter: Miilkobitch


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 smutty chapters in one day! Just 2 more chapters to go and this story will be coming to an end. Enjoy!! Happy belated birthday, Mickey. <3

Ian wouldn't take his eyes off the clock. He'd been waiting months for this to finally happen. They hadn't talked about the specifics since the first night they spent together, but Ian hoped that Mickey hadn't forgotten. All the built up tension would finally be released. He smiled as the clock struck midnight. It was officially August 10th.

Ian quickly climbed off of his bed and made his way to Mickey's room, being as quiet as he possibly could. The last thing he wanted was to wake anyone in the house. He creeped into Mickey's room and locked the door securely behind him. If Mickey knew he was there, he didn't show any signs that he did. All Ian could see was the outline of his body under the covers, all he could hear was Mickey's steady breathing.

He climbed onto the bed and kissed right behind Mickey's ear. "Happy birthday," he whispered, looping his arm around Mickey's waist to pull him closer. Mickey's back was pressed firmly against Ian's front.

Mickey turned around just as Ian's dick started to harden from being between his cheeks. Mickey chuckled softly and raised an eyebrow. "Someone's eager."

"Been waiting almost a year. Do you know how hard it is for a teenager to wait that long?" Ian retorted, pushing his hand up the front of Mickey's loose shirt, his fingers brushing over his nipple.

"I'm a teenager, too, dumb ass. I think I know," Mickey chuckled and pushed Ian onto his back, straddling his waist. He leaned down and pressed their lips together, arching his back slightly to add some friction to both of their semi hard ons.

Ian let out short and quiet moan, running his hands down Mickey's sides until they were grasping his full ass cheeks. "Fuck you, I got you off three months ago. You're not as deprived as I am," Ian chuckled softly, pushing his hips up which caused Mickey to let out a deep sigh, his eyes falling shut slowly. "You've done this before, right?" Ian mumbled against his foster brothers lips.

"Not a fucking virgin, Gallagher. Shut up," Mickey replied, trailing his lips down Ian's neck.

Ian chuckled and pushed Mickey's shirt up to his chest. When Mickey sat up a little, he swiftly pulled fabric off of his body and threw it to ground. Ian turned his body a bit and turned the lamp next to Mickey's bed on, earning a raised eyebrow from Mickey. "Wanna see you," he explained, pushing Mickey backwards until he was laying on his back, his head at the foot of the bed. He fit perfectly between Mickey's legs and started kissing down his body.

Mickey propped himself up on his elbows, watching every move Ian made. He shivered a little when Ian planted a gently kiss on his hip bone, making Ian smile. As he got lower, he teasingly ran his lips over the clothed bulge that was slowly getting bigger. Mickey let out a soft whimper and pushed his hips up. "Hurry the fuck up," he breathed, putting his hand on the back of Ian's head.

"Now is not the time for you to be impatient. I've been waiting for almost a year to pound your ass. Don't really want it to be over in five minutes." Ian replied, palming Mickey cock.

"If you cum in five minutes, I will kick your fucking ass," Mickey replied and Ian genuinely believed him.

"Don't worry. You'll cum first," Ian said confidently, pulling Mickey's pajama bottoms and boxers down just enough for his cock to spring free. He'd be lying if he said his mouth didn't instantly water just as it had when he saw it at the drive in.

Ian got on his knees so he could pull his shirt off, not really sure where he threw it. He repositioned himself between Mickey's legs, laying flat on his stomach. He ran his lips down the underside of his cock before licking his way back up and took the tip between his lips. Mickey let out a short breath and fell to his back, letting his eyes fall shut.

Ian inched Mickey's cock further and further into his mouth until it was hitting the back of his throat. Mickey bit down on his lip, his eyebrows pulling together. As much as Ian wanted to hear him, he knew it was good that he was being quiet. Regardless of Mickey's age and freedom, Ian's parents could still make him leave. The quieter, the better.

Ian gagged a little and pulled his head up to catch his breath, bobbing his head rhythmically. He pulled away from Mickey's cock momentarily to pull the shorter man's pants and boxers off completely to give himself more room and went right back to work, wrapping his hand around the shaft and pumped as he let his tongue drag lazily across his balls, completely ignoring the saliva drenching his chin. He used his free hand to push his fingers between Mickey's ass cheeks, running them over his hole. He lifted his head and raised an eyebrow as he felt that it wasn't as dry or as tight as he thought it would be.

Mickey looked down at him and shrugged. "You told me to be prepped and ready, remember?" He explained shyly.

A smile slowly formed on Ian's lips and he nipped on Mickey's inner thigh before planting a soft kiss in the same spot to sooth it. "So good for me," he mumbled, pushing two fingers into his slick hole.

Mickey's back arched off the bed as he took his lips between his teeth. He breathed slowly as Ian pushed his fingers in and out and took his cock back into his throat. "Fuck," he breathed out when Ian's throat closed around the tip and he gagged. "Fuck me," he said desperately, tangling his fingers in Ian's hair, pulling softly to get him to move up.

Ian let his cock fall out of his mouth and pulled his fingers out. He was mesmerized by the way Mickey's body reacted to him. No one had ever been so turned out because of him. It was an amazing thing to witness. He sat up and admired his boyfriend's body, licking his lips as he did so. He was beautiful. He loved him.

"Come on, man. You can stare at me later," Mickey said, breaking him from his thoughts and grabbed the waist line of Ian's sweat pants, pulling them back enough so he could slip his hand inside and stroke his cock slowly.

Ian let out a low moan, savoring the feeling for as long as he could before pulling out a condom and some lube from his pocket. He laid them on the bed, pushing his sweats and boxers down until he had completely rid them from his body. Mickey never took his eyes away from his crotch from the moment it was exposed. Ian let out a soft chuckled as he saw how wide Mickey's eyes were and the smiling playing on his lips.

"This is gonna be fun," Mickey said and grabbed the condom, tearing the wrapper with his teeth. He took the rubber out of the packaging and rolled it slowly down Ian's cock, biting his bottom lip. The action made his lip even more puffy as it fell back to its normal placement.

Ian grabbed the lube and squirted some onto his palm. He slicked up his confined cock, pursing his lips as he did so to prevent from moaning. "Ready?" He asked as he leaned over Mickey's body, positioning the shorter man so he could line himself up.

Mickey nodded eagerly, putting an arm behind his head and watched Ian's every move. Ian licked his lips and slowly pushed his way in, both guys unable to stop the groans that left their lips. The moment he bottomed out, he felt more relieved he'd ever thought possible. As he started thrusting his hips, Mickey grasped at the blanket at his sides, squeezing until his knuckles turned white.

Ian looked down and watched his cock go in and out of Mickey's hole quickly. As much as he wanted to go slow, his body had been begging for this release for months and it had taken over, ignoring everything his brain was telling it to do. Ian could tell by the way Mickey body was quivering that he was doing everything he could to hold back his moans. Ian was so distracted by the shaking of Mickey's body that he had pulled back too far and his cock slipped out, causing Mickey to instantly let out a desperate whine and reached forward, wrapping his hand around the base to guide it back in.

Ian let out a soft chuckle and continued thrusting as he leaned forward, pressing a heated kiss to Mickey's mouth. They swallowed each other's moans, Mickey's finger nails digging deeply into Ian's back. Ian slowed his thrusts a little, wanting to feel every inch of Mickey around him. He angled his hips up and hit his prostate with every thrust forward, making Mickey quiver even harder.

"Fuck, I'm gonna cum," Mickey whispered, arching his back and reached in front of him, wrapping his hand around his cock and stroked it in time with Ian's thrusts.

Ian nodded and started drilling into him again, sitting up so he could get a better view. Mickey pressed his hand against his mouth, his eyebrows pulling together and his eyes squeezing shut. It only took a few more thrusts before cum was shooting onto Mickey's chest, followed by muffled grunts.

Ian felt himself getting close as Mickey was finishing up. Mickey surprised him by pushing him away right before he released. "What the fuck," Ian groaned, falling on his butt and gave Mickey a questioning look.

Mickey smirked and pushed Ian down so he was on his back. He rolled the condom off of Ian's cock and leaned forward, taking almost all of it into his mouth. Ian let out an involuntary moan and tangled his fingers in Mickey hair. Mickey bobbed his head, taking Ian to the back of his throat every time. Ian gripped his hair tighter as he felt his orgasm building up again and tilted his head back. He moaned again when he came, feeling almost proud as Mickey swallowed every drop, continuously bobbing his head until Ian was completely done and licked him clean.

Mickey let his cock fall from his mouth and smiled brightly at him. Ian chuckled, trying to catch his breath and shook his head.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Ian asked, running his hands over his face.

"I'm alright," Mickey replied with a shrug and laid down next to Ian, resting his head on his shoulder. Ian wrapped an arm around him and couldn't stop the goofy smile that was planted on his lips.

"I love you," Ian said casually, pulling Mickey closer. Mickey leaned up and pressed a soft kiss on his lips before getting back into a comfortable position.

He didn't say it back. But Ian didn't need him to. He was perfectly happy with how the night had gone. He reached over and turned the lamp off, murmuring another "happy birthday," before he drifted off to sleep. Complete catharsis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/twitter: Miilkobitch


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to do an epilogue, but this seems like perfect place to end it. I'm going to be coming back to this, though, adding oneshots over time just to give you guys a peak into their lives. 
> 
> A HUGE thank you to Shelby for helping me work through everything that I couldn't seem to work out on my own. No way in hell this fic would've even started, let alone finished, without your help. I love you dearly. 
> 
> And of course, than you to everyone who read this and left kudos and comments. You're all so very much appreciated. 
> 
> I have a new one shot coming up and another multi chapter really soon after that, so look out for those. :) it's been fun :)

Ian had been dreading this day for weeks. Months, even. He knew it would come eventually and he was so immensely proud of his boyfriend, but being separated from him was going to be one of the hardest things he could ever imagine. He'd gotten used to falling asleep with Mickey wrapped around him, gotten used to waking up every morning to his bed head, gotten used to standing next to him while they brushed their teeth, gotten used to just having him around.

Ian was going to miss the shorter man. It was going to take a lot of time to get used to being away from him, but seeing how happy Mickey was to be off to college, something he never thought to be possible, made Ian less upset to let him go and more happy for another person than he ever thought he could be.

Ian picked up the last box from the driveway, ready to put it in the back of the Uhaul until he realized it wasn't taped up. He went to the porch to grab some tape, setting the box down in front of him. He was just about to tape it shut when he saw the corner of a picture frame and a flash of red hair peaking out. He couldn't contain his curiosity, tilting his head to the side as he pulled the box open and pulled the frame out.

His head felt cloudy and his heart sped up as he looked at it. It was a picture of him that he didn't know was taken, but he knew exactly when Mickey must've snapped the picture. It was a candid shot, he was smiling brightly with mud smeared on face and the sun shining right on his red locks. It was earlier that summer and Ian had taken Mickey to a creek that he and Aaron used to go to as kids. He knew Aaron would be pissed that Ian had showed someone else their spot, but he wanted Mickey to see the place that helped him feel better when he had a bad day. Just like Mickey had the baseball field.

_"I can't believe you're making me fucking hike," Mickey tisked, grabbing onto trees as they went downhill so he wouldn't fall._

_"Stop bitching. It'll be worth it once you see where we're going," Ian replied, looking at Mickey over his shoulder with a small smile._

_"This better be the most god damn enchanting place the world has ever seen or I'm kicking your ass back up this hill and all the way home," Mickey grumbled._

_Mickey stayed quiet for a while, mostly focusing on trying to walk without slipping. Walking through the woods with mud under his shoes was not something he was used to doing. He ran through the streets, away from cops, away from people who caught him fucking guys, away from Terry. Hiking was not his fucking thing._

_Mickey never had good luck. Good things didn't happen to him. He could only think of three good things that happened to him in his life that could be explained with luck. Two of three included Ian, so he couldn't help but feel hopeful that the Irish fuck would bring him some luck and he wouldn't end up falling flat on his ass._

_Unfortunately, Ian's Irish roots weren't enough and Mickey slipped, sliding down the hill. The only good thing about it was that Mickey had taken Ian down with him and he wouldn't be the only one getting mud all over him and rocks stuck in places they had no business being stuck in._

_They slid all the way down the hill, grunting and groaning. Despite their pain, though, when they got over the shock of it, they hunched over each other, cackling like they never had before. Mickey laid on his back, looking up at the leaves that hung off the tree above him. He slowly got all of his chuckles out, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He spread his legs when Ian rolled on top of him, bumping their noses together gently. Ian gave him a genuine smile as he leaned down and pressed their lips together firmly, resting his elbows on the ground to prop himself up. Ian took Mickey's bottom lip between his teeth, earning him a low moan from his boyfriend. He pecked his lips once more before standing up and held his hands out for Mickey to take so he could help him up. Mickey allowed himself to be dragged up, rubbing his ass with his hand as he found his balance._

_Ian chuckled and grabbed the front of Mickey's shirt, pulling him out of the woods. Without the shade of the trees, he had to squint to see past the rays of the sun. He raised his eyebrows when his eyes focused on the clear water surrounding them, too preoccupied with taking it all in to notice Ian pulling him up onto huge rock. When Ian sat down, he patted the spot next to him, indicating that Mickey should sit, too._

_"Take it in, man. It's the most relaxing place you'll ever find," Ian said, clearly in awe of his surroundings. "Aaron and I found this place when we were kids. Probably not the best ideas for two six year olds to walk through the woods alone, but I was missing my family and needed to get away from my parents for a little bit. We just started walking and ended up here. Every time things got hard to deal with, I'd come here and I'd work out whatever it was that was bothering me. Haven't been here in almost two years. Got too busy. But this place is always gonna be special to me," Ian shrugged, dragging his eyes over the rocks that surrounded the body of water._

_Mickey listened intently, really wanting to understand what the place meant to him. He understood why this place was so special. It was beautiful. More importantly, though, it was Ian's baseball field. Mickey got it._

_He reached into his pocket discreetly, pulling his phone out and opened the camera. He took advantage of the moment, Ian looking damn near perfect even with the mud on his face, and reached over to pinch his side in the spot that always made his boyfriend roar with laughter. As soon as Ian began laughing, he snapped the picture, shoving his phone back into his pocket before the two teenagers ended up in a full blown tickle war._

Ian was snapped out of the memory when the four other members of his family joined him outside. He couldn't wipe the grin from his face as he put the picture back in the box and taped it shut, taking it to the Uhaul and put it in the back.

"Can't believe I'm actually sending you off to college," Mandy chuckled, wrapping her arms around her brothers neck. "This wouldn't have been possible a year ago."

Mickey nodded and hugged her back tightly, stuffing his face in her neck. "You gonna be okay here without me?" Mickey asked for what was probably the tenth time that day, making Ian's heart swell even more than it already was. The love Mickey had for his baby sister was truly admirable.

"Yes, assface. I'll be fine. I promise. If I need you, I'll call, but I'm sure you're going to be spending most of your free time on the phone with your boyfriend," she teased, letting go of him.

"Shut the fuck up," he chuckled, shaking his head. He looked over at Clayton and Lucy who were sitting on the porch talking amongst themselves.

He ran a hand over his face and sighed softly as he walked over to them, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Uh, listen," he started, kicking at the rocks on the ground. "I really appreciate everything you guys have done for Mandy and me. Especially for Mandy. I would've been okay, but she wasn't doin' so hot before we got here," Mickey told them, avoiding looking them in the eye.

"Don't do that, Mickey," Lucy sighed softly, standing up. "Don't thank us, don't try to act like you were in any better shape than Mandy was, and please, for the love of god, stop feeling like Mandy is more than important than you. You're both so impeccably important and we're both so proud of you. You deserve this," she finished, pulling him into a tight hug. Had this been a year ago, he would've shrugged her off and felt uncomfortable. A year later, he really just felt uncomfortable, but he hugged her back anyway, feeling that she deserved at least a hug if couldn't give her anything else.

As soon as he pulled away from her, Clayton was right there, engulfing him in a hug as well that was, thankfully, brief. Clayton patted him on the back as he turned and went to say goodbye to person who had changed his life the most. He smiled softly as he approached the younger guy, stopping a few inches in front of him.

"Just remember to never forget your key, go to the gym as often as you can because the freshman fifteen is not just a myth, and checking out other guys without me there is considered cheating," Ian listed off with a smug grin.

"Fuck off," Mickey chuckled, shaking his head. He wouldn't admit it, but he was going to do everything the red head asked. He was whipped and very much ashamed of that fact.

"Saw the picture you're taking with you," Ian smirked, leaning against the truck, his eyes studying Mickey's face like he'd forget what the shorter man looked like if he didn't memorize every blemish.

Mickey's neck turned a shade of pink and he looked at the ground, shrugging his shoulders. "'S a good picture," he replied nonchalantly, not fooling his boyfriend in the slightest.

Ian reached forward and grabbed the front of Mickey's shirt, pulling him closer until their chests were pressed firmly against each other. "I kinda like you, you know that?" Ian asked, looping his arms around Mickey's waist.

Mickey chuckled, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? I kinda remember you saying you felt something a little deeper for me a few weeks ago," Mickey teased, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Kinda love you," Ian confirmed with a nod, leaning forward and pressed his lips gently against Mickey's, disregarding the fact that his parents were watching. They were free to be together and all Ian wanted for months now was to be able to be free with the man he loved.

Mickey melted into the kiss, cupping Ian's face in his hands. Their tongues tangled together, savoring the moment because they knew that this would be the last time they'd be able to do this until November. When they finally pulled away, they ignored the flabbergasted stares from Clayton and Lucy and the fake gagging from Mandy, just taking each other in.

"Kinda love you, too," Mickey murmured, pecking Ian's lips one last time.

Ian's face broke out in a grin as he bumped their noses together gently. "Go kick some college ass. Call when you get there," he said, patting Mickey on the ass and regretfully let go of him.

Ian stepped away and walked backwards to join his family as Mickey nodded and waved at them, feeling more grateful for the hand he was dealt than he ever thought he would.

He got in the truck and started it, waving one last time as he pulled away from the curb, making his way towards the future he never thought he'd have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr/twitter: Miilkobitch


End file.
